


Learning Curves (and how it all leads me to you)

by TheWanderers



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Vinsmoke Sanji, Child Abuse, Coming Out, Coming of Age, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Nakamaship, Sanji Is Not A Vinsmoke, Slow Burn, Vinsmoke Sanji Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 63,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWanderers/pseuds/TheWanderers
Summary: Sanji learns a lot of things as he grows up over the years, but it isn’t until he reaches high school and meets Monkey D. Luffy along with his ragtag band of friends that he truly learns to be happy.
Relationships: (brief) Vinsmoke Sanji/Viola, Aka Ashi no Zeff | Red-Leg Zeff & Vinsmoke Sanji, Franky/Nico Robin, Kaya/Usopp (One Piece), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates & Vinsmoke Sanji, Nami/Nefertari Vivi, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, one sided Vinsmoke Sanji/Portugas D. Ace, one sided ghin/Sanji
Comments: 200
Kudos: 394





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So over quarantine, I started getting into one piece and absolutely fell in love with Sanji so I kinda wanted to write a coming of age kinda character study on him; thus, this was born. Please enjoy my shameless self indulgent fic hahaha
> 
> As a forewarning, this will be the slowest of slow burns, so be prepared. Also if you didn't read the tags, t/w for child abuse and starvation for Sanji's backstory, and brief mentions of a panic attack

Sanji learns a lot of things as a child. 

The first, most important thing he learns is his love for cooking.

The first time he ever cooks for his mother it can’t really be even considered cooking. He just put a banana, a fish, and a half cooked omelet with the eggshells still in it on a plate and proudly brought it up to his mother’s room where she spent all of her time. 

Despite the obviously terrible quality of the dish, his mother eats it all- eggshells and everything- and smiles widely at him. Even by now, Sanji knows he won’t ever be as strong as his brothers or as smart as his brothers, but he knows he’s the only one who ever makes his mother smile like this.

And that’s enough for him. 

The second thing he learns is that Sanji is different. 

It starts the very moment he is born along with his three other brothers (Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji… Judge was obviously very creative with his naming), and it becomes even more clear as he continues growing up. While his brothers absorb information at inhuman rates- exceeding in every subject Judge hires private tutors to teach them- Sanji struggles. While his brothers excel at every sport- innately talented at everything they do- he would always trail behind. Sanji’s not strong enough, not smart enough, not good enough, not _enough._

Sanji’s different, and he learns at a young age that that is a very, very bad thing. 

He also learns to never, ever make Judge angry. 

His brothers may gang up against him and beat him, but no matter what they did, it would never be worse than what Judge does when he’s angry. Judge rarely beats him, but when he does, it’s brutal and vicious. The only _good_ thing about that is that his other brothers aren’t exempt from it either, but even then Sanji is the one who disappoints Judge the most. Sometimes, when Judge doesn’t feel like beating Sanji or if he doesn’t feel like it's punishment _enough_ , he’ll lock him in The Room. If he really pisses Judge off, he could be left in the dark, enclosed space for weeks without any food and no way to tell if time is passing. 

(And it's the worst when he’s trapped in the dark room, not able to tell up from down or left from right, and his brothers come in and he _learns_. He learns that he is a failure; he learns that he shouldn’t have been born; he learns that he won’t ever be who Judge wants him to be, and he learns that he can throw up if his brothers kick him in the stomach enough.)

It’s only when he starts elementary school does he learn it's not _normal_ for his brothers to beat him or his father to lock him in a dark room for days on end without any food. 

His kindergarten teacher is soft and kind and everything that he will eventually come to love about women, but she doesn’t understand why Sanji acts so withdrawn and keeps getting into fights with his classmates.

“He’s such a sweet boy,” he hears her say, sitting outside her office after getting in trouble for fighting again. “I don’t understand why he acts like this.”

“You’re still new, huh,” one of the other teachers responds. “You don’t know the Vinsmokes.”

There’s a pause and a gasp and his teacher breathes out “you don’t mean….”

Afterwards he wonders why she has such a pained look in her eye when he comes to school covered in bruises and why she winces everytime a loud noise causes him to flinch and jerk to attention. 

…

His mother dies in the summer before Sanji goes into fourth grade, and Sanji doesn’t stop crying the entire funeral. 

He knows that he’s starting to grate on Judge’s nerves, but even his sister, Reiju, desperately trying to cheer him up has no effect. He cries and cries and cries and _cries_ , so as soon as they get home, Judge grabs him by the collar of his t-shirt and throws him into The Room. 

By the time he’s let out, Sanji is tired, he’s starving, and his eyes are red and puffy from his insistent crying. That’s when Sanji decides to run away from home. 

He’s not _stupid_ , so he steals his Judge’s credit card and manages to secretly buy a train ticket online. He packs food and clothes to last him through his trip, and sneaks out at night when everyone is fast asleep.

(He cries when he leaves because despite everything there will always be a part of him that longs for Judge’s approval. There will always be a part of him that longs for love from a loveless family.)

Maybe it's because nobody was expecting it, maybe it was because it was _Sanji-_ the weak, pathetic _failure_ , but somehow he manages to make it to a city over 100 miles East of his family’s mansion called East Blue without them stopping him. 

But, he’s still a kid, and he finds that he has no idea what to do when he gets there. His food runs out after twenty-five days, and he spends a little more than two months living on the streets begging for scraps. He’s scared, alone, terrified, and really he wasn’t prepared for this; he didn’t think this through, but he never, _ever_ wants to go back.

And that’s when he meets Zeff. 

Zeff is big and large and intimidating, but his hands are warm and gentle as he offers to share his food with the blonde starving boy who looks at him with eyes that speak of horrors people triple his age had yet to see. 

“What’s your name, kid?” Zeff asks as Sanji shovels food into his mouth with an enthusiasm that only a starving child could generate. 

“Sanji,” he answers, brash and full of bravado he doesn’t feel. “And I’m not a _kid_.” 

“Where are your parents?” Zeff asks, pulling out a bottle of beer and popping open the top.

“Dead.”

“Both of ‘em?”

“Just my mom.”

“What about your father?”

“I don’t have a father. I only have a Judge.”

Zeff frowns. “What’s a Judge?”

Sanji shrugs and finishes shoving food into his mouth. He licks the plate clean (he knows better than to waste food), and Zeff raises an eyebrow at the little boy’s actions. 

“How long have you been out on the streets?”

“Long.”

Zeff scoffs. “Friendly, aren’t you?”

“What about you?” Sanji challenges. He pulls himself up to his full height, puffing out his chest in an attempt to seem more intimidating. “Why are you here?”

“I’m a criminal,” Zeff tells him, amusement clearly written on his face as he looks down on Sanji. “Nobody will give a job to a criminal.”

Sanji scowls. “Nobody will give me a job because they think I’m a _kid._ ”

“You _are_ a kid,” Zeff scoffs. “How old are you? Ten? Twelve?”

There’s a long break of silence before Sanji finally responds. “Eight.”

Zeff chokes on his beer, turning to look at Sanji in disbelief. “What the hell is an eight year old doing out here? Go home, kid.”

“I’m not a _kid_ , and I don’t have a home!” Sanji spits out, glaring at Zeff. 

“No family? Nothing?”

“I don’t have a family,” Sanji insists stubbornly. He pauses for a long moment, looking down at his shoes miserably before tacking on in a soft voice “family isn’t supposed to hurt you.”

At that, Zeff freezes, understanding dawning onto his face. They sit in silence until Zeff’s beer runs out, the cold night air biting at both their faces. Sanji shivers and rubs his nose, bracing himself for another cold night as summer begins to fade away into autumn. The tattered jacket he has no longer keeps out the cold, and Zeff seems to notice as he stands and gestures towards him with his empty bottle. 

“Come with me, kid,” he says. 

Sanji eyes him suspiciously. “I’m not a kid, and I don’t need your help.”

Zeff sighs, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, come on, you stubborn little shit. Anything’s better than being out on the street in this weather.”

Sanji hesitates, but his mistrust is overshadowed by the cold as another breeze blows through, causing him to shiver. He follows Zeff to his dingy, run down apartment, and for the first time since the death of his mother, he allows himself to hope.

…

Sanji learns a lot of things from Zeff. 

He learns about what it means to be a cook, what it means to be a man, and maybe- just maybe- what it feels like to have a father. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last. 

Sanji is barely able to stay with Zeff for a couple of weeks before the police finally find him, and they take Zeff into custody for harboring a runaway child. Sanji doesn’t understand much, but he knows that the law isn’t fair and there are loopholes to everyone that has money- namely, Judge.

Despite Zeff’s claims of Sanji’s abuse (“where’s the proof?” They ask, as if everyone doesn’t already _know_ ), he’s almost sent back to prison until Sanji begs Judge to let it slide. 

They come to an agreement in which Sanji must return and _stay_ , and he’s not allowed to breathe a word about anything that goes on at the Vinsmoke’s mansion unless he wants Zeff to suffer the consequences of his actions. 

He goes back because he’d rather suffer through his family than cause pain to the only man he’ll ever call father. 

Thankfully, they still let him visit Zeff (because what would happen if they couldn’t keep holding him against Sanji?), so he always goes and visits the man at every possible opportunity. Zeff, clearly, is very upset about Sanji’s decision, but at the very least he understands and doesn’t try to change his mind (very often. He still tries). 

He gets older and he graduates elementary school with a certificate of completion and a handful of bruises, and he starts middle school with a shitty attitude and a broken thumb (Zeff would have gotten mad about him injuring his hand, if not for how he got it). 

Zeff teaches him to fight so that at the very least he can fight back against his brothers, but the ability to fight paired with Sanji’s shitty attitude leads to _more_ broken bones and bruises. Now, not only is he fighting his brothers, but he’s fighting his _classmates_ or anyone who looks at him and calls him _weak_ or _failure_ (because he’s not, no matter who says it or how often they do, he’s _not_ \- is what he tries to tell himself, anyway). 

He forces himself to grow up quicker- stops crying so much, and he hides his childish nature (and the bruises) under layers of dress shirts and jackets that make Zeff scoff when he sees it. 

But the most wonderful thing he finds are cigarettes.

Not only does he look cool- look _older_ when he smokes, but it also suppresses his appetite so Sanji doesn’t have to feel _hungry_ (he won’t ever go through that pain again); however, the most important thing is that despite flooding his lungs with smoke, he feels like he can finally _breathe_. His hands don’t shake as much, and it makes it so much easier to pretend to be _normal_ (and not the fucked up failure that he sees in his reflection).

Unfortunately, middle school is when he realizes he is very much not normal.

He’s always been attracted to girls- they’re pretty, they’re kind, and they never throw him against a wall and beat him. But boys? They’re disgusting, gross, rude, and have no qualms against getting into physical fights that make Reiju sigh when he comes home covered in dirt and bruises. 

But then Sanji meets Ghin, and it's not long before he’s _smitten_. 

Ghin’s a high school student which makes him _cool_ , and he makes Sanji feel like he’s not just some kid (not just some _failure_ ). He’s a bit of a bad boy, but for some reason that just adds to his appeal- and he’s in a _gang_. 

Ghin doesn’t care what people think about him, he acts exactly as he wants to without worrying about being a “failure” or being “worthless”. He’s just _him_ , and Sanji’s head over heels for him. 

Ghin is everything Sanji wants to be and more, so Sanji follows him around loyally like a puppy. 

Sanji hates that he feels this way, but he can’t stop the butterflies in his chest whenever Ghin flashes him a grin or compliments him after he gets trashed in a fight because “ _did you see the other guy?_ ”

So naturally, Sanji begins to throw himself at every girl he meets with desperation because he’s _normal_ and he knows exactly what people do to those who aren’t. 

He gets a girlfriend near the beginning of eighth grade after Ghin left town to go to college, and it ultimately lasts barely three weeks before she breaks up with him. “ _It’s not your fault,_ ” she tells him with a kind smile on her face. “ _I just don’t think we’re really meant to be_.”

But he knows it's his fault because he’s worthless and unlovable, and his brother’s make sure he knows that until the words are practically branded onto his skin when he makes the mistake of lording a higher grade over Yonji.

It’s also in middle school when Sanji is painfully reminded of _exactly_ how fucked up his family has made him when Zeff accidentally closes the pantry door when Sanji’s was still in it. 

As soon as he’s trapped in the dark, enclosed space, an irrational panic overtakes him and Zeff literally has to pull him out on the verge of passing out from hyperventilating. 

Because, of course to top it all off, he has claustrophobia, and he can’t even go to a therapist to get it fixed because he knows the cause (he can’t exactly get therapy for an experience he’s not allowed to talk about).

But everything is made better one day when Zeff sits him down and tells him _the plan_. In four years, he turns eighteen, and once he’s eighteen, Judge can’t stop him from moving out; therefore, on his eighteenth birthday, he can come live with Zeff and work at his new restaurant, The Baratie, until he makes enough money to go to culinary school (unless he manages to get a scholarship). All of this culminates into Sanji’s _final_ dream which is to eventually open his own restaurant. It’s not really much of a world shattering idea or geniusly thought out plan, but it’s _hope_ that Sanji hasn’t had since he ran away six years ago. 

He tells Reiju _the plan_ one night, and she offers another idea- one that triggers multiple nights of desperate studying as he attempts to get into Grand Line High School (which is “coincidentally” _very_ far from the Vinsmoke’s mansion, and _very_ close to the East Blue). He manages to convince Judge to let him study there instead of at Germa Technical High School (run by- you guessed it! Germa Tech!) where the rest of his brothers are going because he “wants to learn new ideas to further benefit Germa Tech in the future”. 

Somehow, Judge either buys his bullshit or just really doesn’t care about him anymore, and agrees to let him live with Zeff on the weekdays; however, all of this is on the condition that he return home on the weekends so that his father can ensure that he’s not slacking in his studies and actually learning information that will benefit him. 

And to Sanji, only two days a week with his family sounds like absolute heaven, and immediately agrees.


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji arrives at Grand Line High School feeling like the main character in some kind of shoujo manga. 

For the first time in his miserable life, he’s actually _not_ going to school with the leering shadows of his three brothers behind him- which means for the first time in his life, he can actually make _friends_. Outside of _maybe_ Ghin in middle school (and that was only really because he met him at the Baratie), Sanji had never had anyone that he would call a friend. 

So Sanji walks into Grand Line High School with bright eyes and the hope that this school year would be different. 

The first half of his school day is pretty normal: most of his teachers all seem pretty reasonable- with the exception of his weird French teacher named Ivankov- and he actually manages to get along pretty well with a wonderful girl in his French class named Conis. 

He sits with Conis-chan at lunch, both of them chatting away about their interests and hobbies outside of school. Conis plays harp, and she shows Sanji a video of her playing for her dog, Su. Sanji tells her about working as a waiter at the Baratie, and he promises to bring her something he cooked the next day. 

They’re interrupted part way through their conversation by a tan pink haired dude who’s yelling loudly at the cafeteria lady. 

“What kind of sorry excuse for food is this?” He complains loudly, shoving the dish at the poor woman. “I could get better crap than this out of a garbage can.”

Sanji feels a familiar spark of fury ignite in his chest at the man’s words. _Have you ever even eaten out of a garbage can?_ He wants to ask. _Have you ever had to search through the streets of a heartless city for food?_

But he doesn’t, and he holds his tongue because the last thing he wants right now is to get into a fight. This year is going to be different- it’s going to be better, and Sanji isn’t going to let himself lapse back into old habits. 

That all goes out the window the moment the pink haired asshole dumps the food into the trash can- right in front of the woman who made it- with a condescending sneer. Sanji’s on his feet before he even realizes it, striding across the room to grab the asshole by the collar of his shirt. 

“You want to eat food straight from the garbage?” He asks the older boy. “Fine.”

He grabs the food in question (a tuna sandwich) out of the trash can, tears off a piece, and shoves it into the boy’s mouth. “Chew and swallow,” he orders, jamming his palm up into the boys chin so that he has no choice but to do what he says. 

A look of horror washes over the boy's features as he does actually end up swallowing, and he gags almost immediately as Sanji releases him. 

“What the _fuck_?” He hisses in between horrified gags as he attempts to cough up what Sanji just gave him. Sanji takes a bite out of the remaining sandwich, evaluating the taste thoughtfully. 

“Tuna is a good source of omega-3 acids, which is proven not only to improve the structure of brain cells, but also to increase blood flow to the brain. You’re clearly lacking in intellect, so I’d suggest you eat this without complaining, okay?” Sanji tells him patronizingly, and pats the older boy on his shoulder. 

He returns the rest of the sandwich to the pink haired boy’s plate and turns to go back to his table, but the other boy stops him with a hand to his shoulder. “You must be a freshman if you don’t know who my father is,” he leers threateningly.

“I don’t care who your father is, only that he’s obviously not educating you properly on the importance of eating your food and treating others with respect,” he pauses, brushing the other boy's hand off of his shoulder. “Cooking is obviously something you know nothing about, so I’d refrain from critiquing food that you don’t know how to appreciate.”

“You fucking-“ the other boy starts, and Sanji immediately catches the way he raises his arm upwards in preparation to punch him. He ducks behind the boy, pivoting around his left leg in order to kick the boy into the lunch tables in front of them. 

The older boy hits the floor with a loud crash, and if the entire school wasn’t paying attention before, they definitely were paying attention now. Sanji catches multiple teachers beginning to run towards him, and he groans internally. _Fuck_ , he thinks. _Can’t even go a goddamn day without fighting._

“Mr. Vinsmoke,” a commanding voice echoes through the uncomfortably silent cafeteria. He flinches at the use of his surname, and fights the desire to scream “ _I am NOT a Vinsmoke_ ”.

He recognizes the woman who called his (their) name as one of the campus supervisors, an absolutely gorgeous woman with pink hair named Hina. In any other situation, he’d be pleased at the prospect of such a mature and beautiful woman approaching him with such vigor, but, well, he’s not _stupid-_ he knows he’s in big trouble. 

She takes him to the office and lectures him almost the entire lunch period about how fighting at Grand Line High School is unacceptable, and that if he pulls another stunt like that, it will result in a suspension.

“I understand you’re accustomed to special treatment because of your family,” she says, and Sanji has to hold back a laugh because she has no idea about the _treatment_ that he’s used to. “But here at Grand Line High School that kind of thing is unacceptable.”

“Yes ma'am,” Sanji says politely, putting on his best “ _I regret what I did and I won’t do it again_ ” face. She gives him a suspicious look, but she doesn’t push it and lets him leave to go to his next class. 

Computer Science is both his least favorite class and most important class because it’s the only reason Judge let him go to this school, but he really doesn’t want to take it. The teacher, a tall middle aged man with blue hair and lips named Iceburg, seems like a reasonable guy at the very least, and if it weren’t _this_ class that he was teaching, Sanji probably would’ve really liked him. He’s also thankful he didn’t get the _other_ teacher, some crazy dude named Franky, because he hears from the other students in his class that he’s extremely eccentric and has a tendency to just spring random projects and tests on his class. 

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, Sanji’s been pegged as the guy who got into a fight on the first day of school, and while most people will flash him polite smiles and talk to him when he strikes up a conversation, nobody really pushes it from there and he doesn’t really make any _friends_.

But it's okay. Being alone is better than having to hang out with his brothers. 

…

In general, Sanji is a very good student, and he consistently keeps all of his grades as A’s (because he knows that Judge will kill him if he ever gets anything else- at the very least, he’s glad he doesn’t expect him to get all A+’s or keep everything above 95%). All of his teachers are pretty fond of him, but he knows they all think he gets into fights a lot outside of school (which- he still does, but not as often as he used to) because occasionally he’ll come to school with a visible bruise or a split lip. He gets the general impression that as long as he keeps getting good grades and doesn’t cause any trouble in his classes, they don’t really care what he does, and that’s fine with him. 

Strangely enough, however, his French teacher takes a liking to him, and offers him a position as a tutor at their Language Center despite that usually being a position for only sophomores and above. Apparently his experience with French at Zeff’s restaurant and his vague memories of his mother speaking it to him is enough to make him better at it than the other students in his class. 

It’s through the Language Center that he meets Viola, a junior who volunteers as a tutor in Spanish. She has absolutely gorgeous olive skin and dark brown hair, and Sanji literally falls in love at first sight. 

Surprisingly enough, she agrees to go out with him when he asks her to, mostly because she thinks he’s cute and was moved by the effort he put into confessing (he takes her out on a night walk in the park, makes her a heart shaped paella, and gives her a bouquet of roses).

On their first date, he makes her a nice home cooked meal that he spends hours pouring over in order to choose the perfect dish. And Viola- sweet, wonderful, perfect Viola, tells him it tastes amazing and ends the whole date with a sweet kiss on his cheek that leaves Sanji noodling on the floor of his and Zeff’s shared apartment until Zeff kicks him.

Viola also does competitive dancing, so Sanji comes to every competition and spends nights researching competitive dancing and how exactly it works. Judge allows it, mostly because Viola’s father, Riku Doldo, is the CEO of Dressrosa Toys. 

His first kiss is on Valentines Day, after Sanji gives Viola homemade salted caramel chocolate fig bonbons that she absolutely _adores_ , and the remaining taste of chocolate lingers sweetly on his lips for days. 

It’s all perfect, until it isn’t.

“I don’t understand,” Sanji says, feeling like his brain just stopped working. His voice comes out hollow and broken, and his confusion is clearly written on his face as he faces his girlfriend. “Why…?”

“It’s not that you did anything or I don’t like you anymore,” Viola tells him. “It’s just that this isn’t going to work anymore.”

“Why not?” Sanji asks, confused and lost. 

“Because I’m not going to have the _time_ , Sanji. I have to start my College applications, and my dance showcase is coming up soon. You _know_ how bad my instructor gets before a showcase. ”

“I can wait,” Sanji says automatically, his brain only now catching up with the situation. He clasps her hands in his, feeling a little desperate. “I’ll wait for you, and then we can-“

“But you _can’t_ , Sanji, I can’t do that to you,” she cuts him off. “You can’t keep doing this without getting anything in return. You’re still a freshman, you’ve got plenty of time and I don’t want you to waste it on me.”

“But-“

“I know you’re willing to, but I’m not,” she interrupts him again, this time her voice coming out much firmer. “You have to understand that love is a two way street, Sanji. You don’t just give love, you _receive_ it, and if you’re not, then they’re not the right person for you.”

Sanji goes quiet and doesn’t look Viola in the eyes. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

She sighs, and Sanji flinches at the sound because its a sigh of _disappointment_ ; he must have not lived up to her expectations, he wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t-

“Sanji,” she says gently, cupping his face in her hands and forcing her to meet his eyes. “What I’m trying to say is that you’re sweet, kind, compassionate, and loving, and you deserve a girl who can’t dedicate herself to you the same way you do to her.”

Sanji feels his heart squeeze, and he gives her the best smile he can muster. Of course, only Viola would spare him such kind words, even if she doesn’t mean it. “Okay,” he says, softly and slowly like he’s afraid the words will break. “If this is what you want, then… let’s break up.”

“Thank you,” she says with a smile, and leans over to press a gentle kiss on his cheek, just like what she did on their first date so many months ago. “I really do hope that you’ll find someone who makes you happy, Sanji.”

“You too,” Sanji tells her, his voice coming out much weaker than he wishes it would. “I hope you get into the college you want, and I hope you do well at your showcase. Is it okay, at the very least, for me to come watch?”

“Of course,” she smiles, soft and gentle. “We’re still friends.”

 _Friends_ , Sanji repeats in his mind, hating the way it makes his chest tighten in disappointment. _You should be glad she’s even willing to stay friends with you_ , he scolds himself. 

“Bye bye, Sanji.”

“Goodbye,” Sanji responds with his best charming smile, ignoring the tears that prick at the edge of his vision. _I love you._

...

Sanji’s first year of high school ends without much commotion or fanfare, and before he knows it, the summer is over and he’s a sophomore. His teachers all change except Ivankov who he’s actually grown somewhat fond of. 

This year, he didn’t get as lucky, and for his Engineering class (once again, only taking because of Judge), he gets Franky who, in his and his class’s shared opinion, really should put on a pair of pants (how the blue haired man gets away with coming to his job without wearing pants is completely beyond him).

His favorite teacher, though, is his history teacher- a beautiful woman with a certain air of mystery about her named Nico Robin. One thing about Miss Nico that the entire class learns pretty quickly is that _nothing_ happens in her classroom without her noticing. It’s almost as if the woman has eyes all over the classroom which is particularly troublesome for a boy in his class who has a tendency to fall asleep during long lectures. 

The best thing about his sophomore year is that once he turns 16, he’s finally allowed to work in the kitchen of the Baratie, so Zeff starts letting him into the kitchen after hours to cook. Even though his birthday isn’t until March, Zeff wouldn’t let anyone who hasn’t gained his complete approval to work at his restaurant, so he starts testing him by making him cook different dishes on the Baratie menu (as if he doesn’t know all of them by memory already). 

He’s rough and extremely hard to please, but Sanji honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s finally in his sophomore year of high school when he starts calling Zeff dad.

The first time it happens, it's after Zeff tasks him with making Bearnaise Sauce which is extremely difficult to make because if you cook it at too high of a temperature, the eggs in the sauce will scramble and the sauce will be ruined. 

When Zeff tastes it, there’s a long moment of silence as Sanji holds his breath, watching Zeff tentatively while the man stands with his face impassive before saying “Not bad, Eggplant,” with a gruff pride that only Zeff can manage. 

Sanji’s face lights up as happiness erupts through his chest because _he did it_ ; He’d been attempting to make that sauce for at least a week now, and the words slip out before he even realizes what he’s saying. 

“Thanks, dad,” he says, and they both freeze- Sanji looking up at Zeff in horror because _what happens if Zeff is disgusted by him or was only having him hang around because he felt bad for him or-_

“D-don’t think just cause you can do this I’m going to let you into my kitchen,” Zeff stutters out, but his eyes look a little misty as he kicks Sanji (albeit a bit gentler than normal) in the back of the head. 

It's only a slight shift in their dynamics because he still calls Zeff “old geezer” and “shitty old man”, but now there’s a new name that occasionally slips in there in certain moments and never fails to make Zeff a little misty eyed. Sanji also overhears some of the patrons at the Baratie call Sanji “your son” in front of Zeff, and the older cook never bothers to correct them. 

Sanji doesn’t think he’ll ever meet anyone who is as important to him as Zeff is, but that all changes the day he meets Monkey D. Luffy.

He had got caught smoking cigarettes during lunch after a particularly stressful test, and the campus supervisor who catches him (a blonde haired man named Paulie who Sanji has actually seen smoking a cigar on school grounds before) immediately assigns him a detention. 

There’s one other boy in the office with him wearing a straw hat who looks pretty young _and_ Sanji has never seen him before, so he immediately labels him as a freshman and pulls out his homework. By now, he’s actually served multiple detentions, so he’s no stranger to how it goes. He’s actually a little thankful because now he doesn’t have to sit alone by himself in the cafeteria for lunch, and can instead just get all his homework done before he gets back to the Baratie. 

The other boy clearly doesn’t share his sentiments because he literally cannot sit still and keeps checking the clock impatiently. Sanji manages to ignore him until the boy’s stomach lets out a pitiful noise, and Sanji immediately shoves his lunchbox over to the other boy (he’s never been able to withhold food from a hungry person- it goes against everything he stands for as a chef). 

The other boy lights up like the sun, and Sanji feels himself overwhelmed by the brightness of his smile. 

“Thanks!” He says extremely loudly, and the teacher in charge of the detention immediately looks up to send him a glare. He smiles sheepishly before literally _inhaling_ Sanji’s lunch, and Sanji watches his food disappear in a manner of seconds with wide eyes. 

Sanji thought that would be the end of that and he’d probably never run into the other boy again, but he’s immediately proven wrong the next day when the boy, introducing himself as “Monkey D. Luffy”, drags him over to sit with his friends at lunch. 

“Guys!” He shouts, waving his arms towards them excitedly. “Here’s the guy I was telling you about yesterday!”

There are three people sitting at the table: a long nosed boy with curly hair pulled back into a ponytail that Sanji vaguely recognizes from his engineering class, a pretty girl with fiery orange hair and brown eyes, and a boy with green hair who Sanji recognizes as the boy who always falls asleep in his History class. 

The girl looks mildly concerned as Luffy brings him over, and the fact that Sanji doesn’t immediately swoon over her is a testament to how completely bewildered Sanji is about the whole situation. 

“That’s Nami,” Luffy says (or shouts, really- Sanji’s convinced he doesn’t even know what an inside voice is), pointing at the girl, “That’s Usopp,” he introduces the long nosed boy, and turns to the final one with green hair and says “that’s Zoro. They’re all your new friends!”

“Huh?” Sanji blinks, a little lost. “My what?”

“Your new friends!” Luffy says with a smile as if there isn’t anything wrong about that statement. “You gave me food which means you’re a nice guy, so now you’re our friend!” 

Now, at this point in time, Sanji can count the number of “friends” he has on one hand, but he’s pretty sure this isn’t how it works. 

“Luffy,” the girl- Nami, says, her voice filled with exasperation. “Do you even know his name?”

 _Finally, someone who speaks sense_ , Sanji thinks, immediately liking the girl (as if he didn’t already just cause she’s- well, you know, a _girl_ ). 

Luffy turns to him, his expression still overwhelmingly bright. “What’s your name?”

“Sanji,” he replies dumbly, his brain still not completely caught up with the situation. 

“Great!” Luffy cheers. “Now we’re friends, Sanji!”

Nami facepalms, and the other two just shake their head slightly as if Luffy had just said something slightly stupid instead of mind boggingly out of this world _crazy_.

“What the fuck,” Sanji finally makes out, looking around at the other people at the table. And because one time isn’t enough he says it again. “What the _actual_ fuck.”

“Just get used to it,” the long nosed boy- Usopp, says with a shrug. “I’ve known Luffy for a total of like nine days, and he says we’re best friends, so…”

He looks hopefully at the orange haired girl for some kind of support because she seemed like a reasonable person, but she just gives him a pitying expression. “Sorry,” she says. “Once Luffy’s decided something, that’s pretty much that.”

The third guy at the table, the one with green hair, grunts in agreement. 

And that’s how Sanji, despite his early unwillingness and the complete ridiculousness of the entire situation, makes his first group of real friends in high school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try my best to update every Friday. All of the exposition is pretty much over, so the rest of the chapters are going to be more dialogue heavy.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave comments and kudos~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why, but writing games of truth or dare is some kind of guilty pleasure of mine, so please enjoy Sanji bonding with the Straw Hats through truth or dare.

There are four people in Sanji’s newly found group of friends.

The first, and most important person, is Nami. 

Nami is not only a beautiful freshman girl, but she’s also the most intelligent and reasonable person in the entire group. She’s basically in charge of keeping the other three idiots in line, and is probably the only reason Luffy hasn’t gotten kicked out of school yet. She reminds him a bit of Reiju in the way she appears cold hearted, but actually has a kind heart that’s hidden away from the rest of the world in a way that tells Sanji that she’s the kind of woman who will do anything to survive. 

The biggest difference between her and Reiju is that Nami doesn’t look away, and Sanji adores her for it. He likes to think that even if the whole world thought that Nami was a money hoarding whore, Sanji will always believe in her. 

Of course, If Nami was the epitome of perfection, then on the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Zoro. 

Zoro is a mannerless brute with muscles for brains and a fanatic obsession with swords that almost puts Sanji’s love for cooking to shame. He’s big, dumb, and almost everything Sanji hates about the male gender.

Sanji _hates_ Zoro. 

He is also the reason for Sanji’s record long streak of not getting into fights at school being completely broken. Sanji honestly doesn’t even remember what their first fight was about, but it marked the beginning of their long antagonistic relationship and multiple other fights that put Sanji in danger of the school calling Judge (needless to say, the _in_ school fighting stops after that, but it doesn’t stop them from fighting _outside_ of school constantly). 

Sanji doesn’t even know why he hates Zoro so much; maybe it’s because he reminds him of his brothers, especially when his hair is green like Yonji’s, or maybe it’s just because he’s… _Zoro_. 

(Sanji once saw Zoro eat onigiri off the floor once after a little girl had accidentally dropped it, and after eating the whole thing, he had given her a smile, patted her head, and told her “it’s good”. He didn’t know how to feel about that.)

On the contrary, Sanji and Usopp’s relationship is a lot more normal. 

Usopp looks up to Sanji because he’s older, stronger, and smarter (it’s a bit strange for Sanji to have someone who thinks he’s reliable and is not afraid to come to him for help or hide behind him when he’s scared), but at the same time will still joke around with him like he does with Luffy and is (unfortunately) not against teasing him when the time arises. 

Part of Sanji sees himself in Usopp: the bravery and strength hidden under layers of fears and insecurities, and the false bravado and the lies to cover up the weakness underneath. In some ways, Sanji feels like if things were a little different, he might have been more like Usopp, and in some ways, it makes him a little more protective of him.

Of course, Usopp is still a man, and Sanji will never treat him with the same kind of pampering or outward protectiveness that he will offer a woman (which doesn’t mean that Sanji isn’t against beating up anyone who hurts him, he’ll just never admit it to the younger boy).

And of course, at the heart of his small group of friends, and the reason it was even formed, is Monkey D. Luffy.

If Sanji had to describe Luffy, he would call the freshman boy a force of nature. Luffy’s brain goes something like this- if he wants food, he eats it; if he likes a person, he befriends them; if he wants something, he takes it, and nobody can stop him. Rules and laws have little to no meaning to Luffy, and neither do things like money or the word “no”.

Luffy loves food and by extension anyone who gives him food, so it's not really much of a surprise that he took such a quick liking to Sanji. 

And honestly, there’s something about the way that Luffy constantly clings to Sanji and says “Sanji’s food is the best!” that makes him so incomprehensibly happy; however, there are moments when Luffy’s love for their small group of friends is so frighteningly strong that Sanji doesn’t know how to deal with it (he’s not used to this kind of love, one that gives and doesn’t ask for anything in return). 

Luffy is also frighteningly perceptive despite being an actual idiot. 

(There was one day when he had thrown himself around Sanji, and Sanji had flinched when he hit a bruise. Luffy had noticed and turned and looked at Sanji with an unreadable gaze. 

“Sanji’s always hurt,” he had said, his expression surprisingly serious, and Sanji had felt his breath stop.

“I got into a fight,” he had lied, and Luffy just blinked slowly, his face not revealing anything. 

“Okay,” and he hadn’t ever brought it up again)

Sanji honestly has no idea how Luffy has survived up until this point, but all his questions are answered when he meets Luffy’s two frighteningly protective older brothers. 

The younger of the two, Sabo, is the smartest of the three (which honestly isn’t saying much, but Sabo is still pretty smart). He’s very strong minded and stubborn, and he’s probably the kindest when it comes to Luffy and his crazy antics. 

Luffy’s oldest brother, Ace is, well- _holy fucking shit_.

There are familiar butterflies bursting in Sanji’s stomach when he meets Ace. He’s absolutely gorgeous, with raven black hair and _freckles- oh my god, he has freckles_ (Sanji never stood a chance). He’s polite and he’s kind, but sometimes he gets this look in his eyes that Sanji recognizes from whenever he looks into a mirror.

(He wonders if Ace also spends sleepless nights staring up at the ceiling, wondering if he should have ever existed.)

Aside from his newfound crush on Ace (honestly how can someone that perfect even exist?), his life has really started to take a turn for the better, and Sanji is _happy_. He eats lunch together with his friends, and he brings snacks for them everyday which they all eat happily and with gusto (mostly because if they don’t eat their food _fast_ Luffy will take it). His brothers don’t pick on him as much as they used to, and when they do it’s because Sanji pissed them off (which he really _shouldn’t_ but he can never hold his tongue around them, especially when they waste food or mistreat women). Even when they do beat him, they almost never end up unscathed, so Sanji doesn’t really feel as weak as he used to. 

They also start a weekly tradition of going over to Usopp’s house on Friday after school, and they just hang out, play games, and watch movies. When they’re all squished together on Usopp’s living room couch with Luffy’s limbs somehow stretched out around every person, Sanji has honestly never been happier. 

It does take him a while to adjust to the amount of touching and physical contact that the others initiate: Luffy will wrap himself around any of them at any time (but Sanji the most because he generally has food), Usopp will lean into anyone’s space, albeit cautiously, and will throw an arm over Sanji’s shoulder occasionally. Nami and Zoro are the least tactile, but sometimes Nami will give him a hug (which he will still swoon over, but not as dramatically as if it was any other girl, and he can tell Nami appreciates it) and Zoro will occasionally knock his shoulder against his. 

In the beginning, he would always flinch or stiffen, and once he even almost kicked Luffy in the face. He’s never had anyone who touches him affectionately, he realizes. Maybe his mother counts but she died a long time ago, and Zeff isn’t really _that_ kind of person. Everything else has been violent, and breaking the habit of immediately being on guard whenever anyone touches him takes a while to break. 

His friends don’t really seem to find it suspicious, for which he’s thankful for, and he doesn’t even know if they know who the Vinsmoke family even is (and he will try as hard as he can to keep it that way). 

His efforts are threatened when they meet a girl who introduces herself as Nefertari Vivi. She doesn’t mention it, but Sanji knows the name because Judge drilled all the names of the wealthy families into his mind as he was growing up. _Nefertari Vivi, the only daughter of Nefertari Cobra, the CEO of Alabasta Industries_ , he recites in his mind almost unconsciously.

Vivi _also_ goes to the same school as Viola’s younger cousin, but remembering the older girl doesn’t hurt as much as it used to (affirming the fact that Sanji _does_ have a crush on Ace). 

When he introduces himself to her, he purposely leaves out his surname because there’s a slight chance she _will_ recognize it like he did to her. He doesn’t know if her father is anything like Judge, so he watches her carefully for any signs of abuse or mistreatment. 

His concerns are eventually proven to be for naught as Vivi seems to adore her father, and her father is fiercely overprotective over her. Sanji is surprised to find that he’s not jealous, only relieved, and he gladly showers her with the affection everyone of her superior gender deserves.

Vivi eventually becomes an addition to their Friday hangouts, and she falls into their group like she belongs there. Vivi and Nami get along _extremely_ well (probably because they’re the only girls) and Vivi is kind of a breath of fresh air for their usually crazy group.

Vivi tends to talk about _normal_ things or suggest _normal_ games, like Truth or Dare. 

“What’s truth or dare?” Luffy asks curiously, and everyone turns to look at him in disbelief.

“You don’t know what truth or dare is?” Nami asks, her voice high with incredulity. 

“Nope!” Luffy says cheerfully, mindlessly picking at his nose. Sanji wrinkles his nose at the idiot’s lack of manners, but he’s long since given up on breaking _that_ particular habit. 

“It’s pretty simple,” Vivi joins in, starting on the probably hopeless endeavor or explaining truth or dare to Luffy. “Someone will start us off by picking a person and asking them to choose truth or dare. Depending on what they chose, they'll either have to do a truth or a dare of the other persons choosing. After that they ask the next person, and it will continue on like that.”

“I see,” Luffy says. “So it’s a mystery game!”

“Let’s just start and explain it to him as we go,” Sanji suggests, knowing that teaching Luffy _anything_ is absolutely hopeless. How he managed to get into high school, Sanji honestly has no idea. 

“I’ll start off,” Nami says, looking around the rest of them to see if anyone disapproves. When she receives only encouraging nods and an affirmative grunt (stupid green haired caveman), she turns to her first target. “Usopp, truth or dare?”

“Truth…” Usopp chooses slowly, looking at Nami as if she’s some kind of horrible beast. Nami has a cat-like grin on her face that usually spells out trouble for anyone involved (not that Sanji would imply that a woman as amazing as Nami would ever do anything wrong). 

“What is the biggest lie you’ve ever told?”

Usopp blushes, rubbing his nose self consciously. “Well, when I was younger there was this girl who was really sick, and I told her that I was a pirate. I used to visit her every day and tell her grand tales about my adventures as a pirate. For the longest time, she actually believed me.” 

Everyone stares at Usopp quietly, not exactly sure what to say.

“That…” Nami starts, breaking the silence. “Was actually really sweet. I thought it would be something more embarrassing.”

“The Great Usopp doesn’t have any embarrassing stories,” Usopp obviously _lies_ , and everyone gives him an unimpressed look. 

“Usopp, just pick the next person,” Nami rolls her eyes, and Usopp looks around their group of friends. 

“Luffy,” he says, and the black haired boy in question perks up at the mention of his name. “Truth or dare?”

Luffy looks around the rest of them, clearly confused, so Zoro leans forward with a sharp grin. “Chose dare, Luffy. Truth is for cowards.”

Sanji scowls at the dumb marimo because sometimes telling the truth can be worlds worse than the worst dares anyone can throw at you, but Luffy cuts him off before he can yell at the stupid Neanderthal. 

“Dare!” He declares, sticking out his chest proudly like choosing dare is some kind of great accomplishment. 

Usopp hums thoughtfully for a moment before finally saying “I dare you to call Ace and tell him that you were the one who dropped his toothbrush in the toilet.”

Sanji raises an eyebrow at the dare, his heart fluttering slightly at the mention of the older boy’s name (stupid, treacherous heart). Luffy has noticeably gone paler- if there’s anything that can scare the practically fearless boy, it’s his older brother.

“I don’t wanna,” Luffy says stubbornly, and Nami rolls her eyes.

“You have to, Luffy, they’re the rules of the game.”

“Don’t be a coward,” Zoro adds in, goading the younger, and Luffy immediately huffs and reaches for the cell phone around his neck (he has to keep it on a cord around his neck because otherwise it will get lost, and Ace and Sabo will get _pissed_ ).

The phone rings a couple times before ace picks up, and Sanji tries to resist the excited energy that fills his body because of his stupid, stupid crush. 

“Hey, Luffy, what’s up?” Ace answers the phone, and Luffy takes a deep breath, steeling himself for his confession.

“I was the one who dropped your toothbrush in the toilet!” He rushes out, and hastily hangs up afterwards, cutting off whatever Ace was about to say. 

Everyone else bursts out laughing because Luffy is probably going to _die_ for that later, and Luffy frowns, turning to Usopp with an angry huff.

“Usopp, dare!” He demands, and Usopp immediately goes pale. 

Nami hits Luffy on the back of the head, scowling. “That’s not how it works, _stupid_ , he gets to chose.”

“And I chose truth,” Usopp adds in weakly, and Luffy frowns.

“Fine, then. Zoro, dare!” 

Nami facepalms, but Zoro just grins. “Fine, then- Give me your worst.”

Luffy grins, still managing to look like sunshine incarnate despite the devilish intentions behind it. “I dare you to call Perona and tell her you _loooooooove_ her.”

Zoro immediately makes a disgusted face at the idea of calling his adopted sister, but pulls out his phone anyway. It takes Perona significantly longer to answer the phone, and Zoro actually has to call her a couple of times before she finally picks up.

“What is it?” She hisses into the phone. “I swear to god if you’re calling me because you got lost again-“

“I fucking love you, okay you stupid bitch?” Zoro growls, and practically slams his phone down as he hangs up.

“Don’t talk to a lady like that!” Sanji hisses, jabbing the mannerless marimo in the side with his foot. Zoro kicks him back with a scowl. 

“Curlybrow, truth or dare,” he demands, and Sanji’s eyebrow twitches at his tone.

He considers his options: 1) he can pick truth- he’s sure the moss-brained fool can’t come up with anything that could possibly hurt him or 2) he can pick dare which is obviously what Zoro is _challenging_ him to pick, so his competitive nature sparks up almost immediately.

“Dare,” he picks, sending Zoro a challenging glare. 

Zoro narrows his eyes at him. “I dare you to show us your other eye.”

_Oh god_ , Sanji thinks, humiliation building up inside him. It’s not like it’s the worst possible thing the marimo could have picked, but it’s still embarrassing. He avoids anyone’s gaze as he pushes his bangs out of his face, and he knows his face turns bright red as soon as everyone except the two lovely ladies bursts out laughing. 

“They turn the same way!” Luffy cackles loudly, and Sanji growls and kicks the idiot as hard as he can. 

“Shut up,” he growls, and Zoro just snickers, smug. Usopp, on the other hand, wisely shuts up.

“Vivi-chwan!” He calls out to the other girl, trying to get the attention off of his stupid eyebrows as soon as possible. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” the blue haired girl picks, and Sanji thinks for a second. He’s never really played truth or dare before, but he’s heard about it so he asks what he knows people _normally_ ask about.

“Who do you have a crush on?”

Vivi frowns. “I wouldn’t really say there’s anyone I _do_ have a crush on…”

“Boring~” Nami teases with a grin.

“That doesn’t count so I’m going to ask another one,” Sanji announces, and Nami gives him a thumbs up that makes him brighten considerably. 

“If you had to pick a guy, who would it be?”

Vivi hums thoughtfully. “I guess it’d be my childhood friend, Koza. Nami, truth or dare?”

Sanji wants to ask her more about Koza, but he holds his tongue- albeit very reluctantly. 

“Truth,” Nami chooses.

“What about you? If you had to pick a guy, who would it be?”

Nami wrinkles her nose and frowns. “I’m not interested in men.” 

Vivi pouts. “Oh come on, Nami, there’s gotta be _someone_!”

“Fine,” Nami aquiests. “Usopp, then.”

“WHAT?” Sanji practically screams. “What about me, Nami-swan? I’m way better than that idiot!”

“Hey!” Usopp protests. “I’ll have you know that women from all over the world have confessed their undying love for me and-“

“It’s cause he’s the only boy I’m close to that is something close to normal,” Nami says flippantly, and Sanji, despite not actually having a crush on Nami, feels his heart break. 

He’s not _normal_ , so nobody will ever love him; his brothers are right, he’s a useless, disgusting _failure_ -

“Sanji?” Nami asks, breaking him from his thoughts.

“Huh?” Sanji asks, forcing himself out of his spiral. _She didn’t mean it like that_ , he tells himself (but when has he ever listened?). 

Nami’s looking at him expectantly, and Sanji blinks, confused. “Yes, Nami-swan?” He asks again, and she frowns. 

“I said truth or dare, didn’t you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry!” Sanji apologizes, forcing some brightness into his tone. “I was just thinking about how wonderful you are, and got lost in my thoughts.”

Nami sighs and rolls her eyes. “See this is why I picked Usopp and not you,” she tells him, and Sanji feels his heart break a little more (unwanted, annoying, stupid failure). “So?”

“Truth,” Sanji says automatically, not wanting to annoy Nami any more by taking a long time to chose. 

“Have you ever actually had a girlfriend?” Nami asks him, and Sanji’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Nami-swan are you actually interested in me?” He swoons, and Nami gives him an unimpressed look. Remembering what she said before, Sanji immediately quiets down. “Yeah, I’ve had two.”

Nami’s eyebrows shoot you into her forehead. “Really? When?”

“One in eighth grade and one in ninth grade,” Sanji tells her, fidgeting uncomfortably. Usually he doesn’t crave a cigarette when he’s with his friends, but his anxiety is starting to act up again. He can’t help but wish he had them with him now. 

“What happened to them?”

“The girl in eighth grade broke up with me after three weeks,” he admits.

“Probably couldn’t put up with your shit,” Zoro scoffs, and Sanji can’t help but feel his chest twist painfully. _God_ , he wishes he had his cigarettes.

“Probably,” he mutters softly in agreement, and Zoro looks over at him in surprise. Sanji looks down at his hands and doesn’t meet anyone’s gaze ( _nobody wants you here, you’re so annoying_ ). “The one in ninth grade lasted four months, but then she broke it off because she didn’t have the time.” 

To his surprise, a pair of arms wraps around him, and he looks up to see Luffy smiling down at him. “Sanji doesn’t need a girlfriend,” Luffy grins. “He has us!”

“I’d rather have a girlfriend than you three,” Sanji mutters, gesturing at the three boys in the room, but even he knows it’s a lie. Luffy knows it too, especially when Sanji can’t help but lean a little more into Luffy’s embrace than normal. 

Sanji turns to Usopp next, trying to take the attention off of himself while Luffy situates himself around Sanji like he’s some kind of band aid for Sanji’s broken heart (which, in some ways, Sanji is beginning to realize, he _is_ ). 

“Truth or dare?” He asks the long nosed boy, and Usopp picks truth almost immediately.

“How about you?” He asks him. “Got a girlfriend or a girl you’re interested in?”

Usopp blushes, his dark skin somehow managing to turn bright red, and Sanji feels his interest spike. “Well I mean,” Usopp starts. “There is one girl...”

“Who?” Nami asks, leaning in excitedly. “Do we know her?”

“No,” Usopp admits. “She lives around here, but she goes to a really prestigious boarding school far away, so she’s never home unless it's the summer.”

“How long have you known her?” Sanji asks curiously, and Usopp gives them a sheepish smile. 

“She’s the girl I mentioned earlier. The one who was sick.”

“What?” Sanji, Nami, and Vivi all gasp together.

“Are you serious?” 

“You should ask her out!” Vivi tells him encouragingly, and Usopp immediately shakes his head frantically. “No way! She’s way out of my league.”

“Awwww,” the three of them deflate slightly. 

“Ussop should have more confidence in himself,” Luffy announces to the rest of the group. “He’s a brave warrior of the sea!”

Usopp doesn’t look like a brave warrior of _anything_ ; in fact, he seriously looks like he’s going to shit his pants at the idea of asking her out, so Sanji takes pity on him. “Usopp it’s your turn to ask.”

“Ah right!” Usopp nods, and turns over to the next person.

They continue playing for a while longer: Zoro has to show everyone pictures of when Perona managed to wrestle him into cute clothing (Nami and Sanji manage to save the photos onto their own phones), Luffy has to eat his least favorite cherry pie, Vivi tells them an embarrassing story from when she was younger, and Sanji reveals that he’d already had his first kiss. 

Despite the more uncomfortable moments of the day, Sanji finds himself relaxing and enjoying his time with his friends- because he has friends now. He feels _really happy_ , and he’s extremely glad that he convinced his father to let him go to school here instead of at Germa Tech. 

He’s learning new things that he never could have before: the boy with the straw hat can make him feel like he’s somebody _worth_ something, someone touching him can be a really comforting thing, you can laugh so hard that your stomach can actually _hurt_ \- but it's a good hurt like the soreness of a muscle as it gets stronger, and it’s possible to be so happy that you can forget all your worries and insecurities. 

And honestly, Sanji is beginning to love his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Honestly I don’t know why, but I really love the relationship between Usopp and Sanji. It’s soooooo underrated. I feel like to Usopp, Zoro is kind of this untouchable figure while Sanji is much more relatable to him, but at the same time, he’s still strong and reliable. Plus, I always love watching one piece and just watching the background interactions between the crew (especially with Sanji) because I feel like he’s always looking out for the weaker members and going out of his way to protect them. 
> 
> Anyways, next Friday’s chapter is the introduction of our favorite reindeer doctor who in this fic is actually neither!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/w for brief mentions of bullying and child abuse

Meeting Tony Tony Chopper is like taking a time machine and seeing his eight year old self again. 

Chopper is small, even for his age, which really doesn’t help his case after he skips multiple grades to become a freshman in high school. He’s timid and hides at the slightest sound, and Sanji _understands_.

Because Chopper’s _different_ from other people, and they treat him accordingly.

When he first sees it, the word _anger_ isn’t enough to describe how he feels- he would probably describe it as _overemcompasing rage._

Needless to say, the bullies were sent to the hospital with promises to never so much as _touch_ the younger boy again and to keep secret who beat them up. 

He’s not the only one with a soft spot for the child prodigy, as Zoro seems quite taken with the younger boy, and Chopper looks up to Zoro with brotherly admiration. 

The two of them are often inseparable, and everyone quickly figured out that the best way to get Zoro to do _anything_ is to ask Chopper to use his puppy dog eyes which the green haired idiot is hilariously weak against. 

(It’s not like the rest of them are any better, but Zoro is the most susceptible).

But seeing Chopper is just like throwing himself into a time machine, so that he can go back and watch his brothers beat up on him all over again. Except where Sanji was (is) a _failure_ , Chopper is a _freak_ , so that’s why he gives the younger boy a smile as the two of them watch Zoro chase Luffy around the table screaming “ _give me back my phone_!” and says “yep, that’s us. We’re just a whole bunch of freaks.”

...

“Oi, Curly brow,” Zoro says as he sits down at the lunch table. “Give me your history notes.”

Sanji makes a face. “No way. It’s your fault you can’t stay awake in history class, why do _I_ have to let you copy _my_ notes?”

“Just shut up and give them to me,” Zoro demands like the uncultured Neanderthal he is. “You let me borrow them every time, do you really need to make this much of a deal out of it?”

Sanji huffs, but he still reaches in his bag to find his history binder. _Stupid marimo_ , he thinks. _Always mooching off of me_. 

“Do you need the notes from math class too, Zoro?” Chopper asks, brightening at the opportunity to help the older boy. 

“Nah, it’s okay,” Zoro grins and ruffles the younger boy’s hair. Chopper looks a little dejected, but is immediately pacified by Zoro’s small gesture of affection. 

Like Sanji, Chopper is in a grade higher for math which puts him at the same level as Zoro (however, Chopper is in a higher grade because he’s a child prodigy, and Sanji is in a higher grade because Judge had drilled advanced math into his brain against his will). 

“Don’t encourage him, Chopper,” Sanji scowls. “He should stay awake through all of his classes and take his own notes.”

Chopper blinks at Zoro. “Are you not getting enough sleep at night?” He asks the older boy worriedly, and Sanji rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t worry, Chopper, I’m fine,” Zoro tells him. “History is just really boring so I just sleep through class.”

Nami raises an eyebrow at Zoro’s apathetic attitude (as the wonderful goddess she is, actually having reasonable study habits), and Usopp looks horrified. 

“If you say so,” Chopper says, still sounding concerned, and Sanji scowls and kicks Zoro under the table, honestly appalled by his attitude. 

“This is the last time I’m letting you borrow my notes,” he declares. “Miss Nico is a wonderful teacher, and if you can’t appreciate her lectures then you can fail her class for all I care.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro mutters. “That’s what you said last time.”

Sanji is completely cut off from whatever he was about to say as Ace walks over with Luffy. 

“Wassup,” the older boy says as he plops down at their table. 

Sanji’s brain immediately works itself into overdrive. Does he respond? Does that seem too obvious? Should he ignore the other boy?

“Hanging out with the cool kids today, huh,” Nami greets Ace, and he gives her a charming smile.

“I heard my younger brother made a new friend, so I came to make sure Luffy hadn’t done anything crazy to the poor kid,” Ace grins, and he pulls Luffy into a one armed hug and ruffles his hair fondly. 

Despite his growing crush on the older, Sanji’s suddenly hit with a surge of jealousy that overwhelms the fluttering in his stomach. It’s not _fair_ that Luffy comes to school everyday with two brothers that _love_ him. They’ll help him if he gets bad grades (not leer as Judge beats him); they’ll worry that he won’t make friends (worthless, loveless, friendless _failure_ ); they’ll pull him into one armed hugs and flash him fond smiles and- when was the last time someone smiled at Sanji that way?

And it _disgusts_ him because it’s _Luffy_ \- cheerful, supportive, carefree _Luffy_ \- and Sanji immediately wants to throw up. 

“Sanji?” He hears Usopp distantly, barely through the noise of his own thoughts. “Are you okay?”

Sanji blinks, forcing his mind out of its spiral, and looks up around at his friends (because he _has_ friends now). They’re all looking at him in concern, and he makes brief eye contact with Ace who’s has a similarly worried expression on his face. It’s only then that he notices his hands are trembling, and he immediately shoves them into his pockets to hide them. 

“Yeah,” he lies, giving everyone an easy smile that he’s long since learned how to force. “I’m fine. Just- thought I forgot something for a second.”

They turn away from him and continue on with their conversation which Sanji pays attention to half heartedly. 

“Wait Chopper, your birthday is on Christmas Eve?” Usopp asks, and Sanji blinks. _That’s right,_ he thinks. _Winter break is coming soon._

A sudden wave of panic washes over him as he realizes exactly what that entails. Fuck, he’s going to have to go back to the Vinsmoke Manor for _two weeks._

“We should have a party!” Luffy announces loudly and with an enthusiasm only Luffy can generate. Everyone around the table has one of those “wait Luffy just had a really good idea” moments, and consider the idea thoughtfully.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Nami says thoughtfully.

“Sanji can make the food!” Luffy grins, and Sanji frowns.

“I’m not going to be here for winter break,” he tells them, but Luffy remains undeterred. 

“Then we do it before winter break!” Luffy says, and Sanji has another “wait Luffy just had a really good idea” moment (seriously, two in the span of like a few minutes!). 

“Okay,” he agrees with a smile. “I’m down for that.” 

“Yay!” Luffy cheers, and just like that, Sanji gets to go to his first ever party with his friends. 

…

“You need to chill, eggplant,” Zeff comments as Sanji works himself into a frenzy in the Baratie’s kitchen. “From what I know about your friends, they’ll practically eat anything.”

“That’s not true,” Sanji mutters to himself, pouring over multiple recipes. “It's just Luffy who’s like that, and even then, there’s a specific shop that has a certain cherry pie he doesn’t like. Nami-swan doesn’t like orangette, Vivi doesn’t like dried squid, Usopp doesn’t like mushrooms, the marimo hates sweets, and Chopper can’t eat spicy foods.”

He chooses not to mention anything about Ace because he always tries as hard as possible _not_ to bring up him in front of Zeff. 

“I’m pretty sure as long as you bring meat, that black hole you call a friend will be satisfied,” Zeff scoffs, and Sanji gives him a glare. 

“You’re not being helpful, you shitty old man,” Sanji hisses at him, and Zeff rolls his eyes. 

“And you’re being ridiculous,” Zeff mutters, but he doesn’t say anything else.

Eventually, Sanji figures out what he’s going to make. Since they’re holding the party at Usopp’s house, he can use his grill to barbecue meat for Luffy, and he can bring green bean casserole and mashed potatoes as side dishes (and so they don’t just eat protein). The party itself is for Chopper’s birthday, so he can make cotton candy cake for the young boy; however, Zoro doesn’t like sweets (stupid, difficult marimo), so he’s going to have to make a seperate dessert for the other boy. 

Zeff raises an eyebrow at the amount of meat and other supplies on Sanji’s grocery list, but thankfully refrains from saying anything as Sanji makes him drive him to the store. After a long argument that Zeff wins, the old man ends up paying despite the fact that Sanji could have done it himself with the money he got from working as a waiter at the Baratie. 

“It’s my money either way,” the shitty old man had grumbled, and Sanji had eventually given in after Zeff had threatened to make him walk back. 

He spends most of his day before their party making the cake and the side dishes, and he even grills a couple of pieces beforehand because Luffy is probably going to want to eat as soon as the party starts. 

Thus, he arrives at Usopp’s doorstep with a cooler full of raw meat, a large plastic container with Chopper’s cake, and a couple trays of side dishes. 

“You didn’t have to bring all this, you know…” Nami tells him as she watches him lug everything over to the kitchen. 

“Nonsense!” Sanji chirps happily, and it’s true: being able to cook like this for his friends was honestly the best thing Sanji could have ever asked for. 

Luffy, as he predicted, is hungry as soon as he comes through the door, and immediately launches himself at Sanji and hangs off of him like a backpack.

“Food?” He asks hopefully, and Sanji gives him the plate of pre-grilled meat that he prepared beforehand. 

Luffy’s smile could light up the entire planet as he releases his death grip on Sanji and inhales the meat on the plate. Sanji, in a _great_ mood, just laughs happily at the boy’s antics. 

Sanji starts to grill the rest of the meat as the remainder of his friends filter in. Making trips between the grill outside and the kitchen, Sanji only sees Vivi come in, and she greets him with a bright smile.

“Smells good!”

“Of course,” Sanji says, spinning into a graceful bow. “It is my pleasure to cook for a wonderful woman such as yourself.”

Vivi, accustomed to his particular brand of chivalry, smiles fondly. “Thanks, Sanji,” she says, and walks over to where everyone else is in the living room. He notices a small bag in her hands, but she walks off before he can ask about it. 

Sanji hums happily as he hears a loud cheer from the living room. He would go join them, but he wants to make sure the meat is cooked properly. He stays in the kitchen and outside by the grill, only seeing his friends when they drop by to get food. 

“You don’t have to stay in the kitchen the whole time, you know?” Usopp asks him worriedly as he watches Sanji carry a large platter of meat over to the counter. 

“It’s okay,” Sanji grins, cutting a slice of meat and placing it on Usopp’s plate. “I am a chef after all.”

Surprisingly enough, it’s Luffy who drags him away from the grill and into the fun and games. 

“Sanji shouldn’t just cook,” he says in the tone of voice that Sanji is beginning to recognize as Luffy’s “saying something really simple and obvious but you’re too wrapped up in your own thoughts to realize it” tone. “Sanji should get to play, too!”

And so Sanji does.

When he walks in, they’re playing Smash Bros Thriller Bark Edition, and Zoro had just won the round- which is something Sanji definitely cannot allow. 

“Gimme that,” Sanji orders Usopp, who looks somewhat relieved as Sanji takes the remote from him. Luffy grabs one too, and the three of them pick their usual characters. Sanji picks the dog faced penguin which despite looking lame, is actually pretty strong. Zoro picks the weird swordsman with three swords (seriously, what were the chances of _another_ idiot who thought using three was a good idea?), and Luffy picks the giant, Oars. 

_Maybe_ Sanji gets a little caught up fighting Zoro (he has to end the marimo’s winning streak after all), and the round ends with both Sanji and Zoro falling off the map because they were too busy fighting each other to realize Luffy got his Final Smash. 

It’s all worth it when Zoro gives him a glare afterwards. “Fucking shit cook,” he growls at him. “I would’ve won if you hadn’t been there.”

Sanji sends him a shit-eating grin right back. “That right there is victory to me.”

The three of them get kicked off so that the others can play because all of them refuse to fight the “monster trio” (Nami coined the phrase) of their friend group when it comes to anything competitive. 

“When do you guys want to have the cake?” Sanji asks after a particularly long round that left Nami fuming because Usopp’s character, Sogeking, had won by shooting cockroaches at her. Everyone whirls around to look at him so fast, he’s afraid they’ll break their necks.

“Cake?” Luffy asks, and- _holy shit_ , he’s already drooling. Sanji feels like he should be accustomed already to his friend’s appetite, but Luffy always manages to surprise him. 

“Yeah, I made cake for Chopper’s birthday,” Sanji tells them, and Chopper immediately lights up. 

“You didn't have to do such a thing, you bastard,” Chopper says while blushing and doing a weird dance (the younger boy _does not_ take compliments well).

Sanji grins, excited to show off his masterpiece. He leads everyone over into the kitchen, and takes off the plastic container that covers the cake with a dramatic flourish. He’s actually really proud of how the cake turned out because it looks delectable; the frosting has slight hints of purple, blue, and pink in the color, and the top is decorated with hand spun cotton candy that Sanji made himself. 

Chopper’s eyes widen comically as he sees the cake, and Sanji is sure that if the younger boy’s eyes could, they would turn into hearts. 

“Wow, Sanji,” Nami says, looking at the cake in awe. “This looks incredible.”

Sanji twirls around her happily. “Anything for you, mellorine!”

“It looks so good!” Luffy cheers, his grubby hands reaching out towards Sanji’s masterpiece. Sanji immediately slaps them away, and pulls out a knife to cut the cake. 

“For the birthday boy first,” he announces, cutting the largest piece and putting it on a plate to hand to Chopper. “Then for the ladies,” he says, cutting two smaller pieces and giving them to Nami and Vivi. “And then for the rest of you bastards.”

He places pieces in front of everyone except Zoro who stood off to the side kind of awkwardly. Everyone takes their cake to the living room, leaving him alone in the kitchen with Zoro. 

“I don’t want your shitty cake,” Zoro scowls as Sanji turns to him, and Sanji scoffs. 

“I know, idiot,” he snaps back, and pulls out the last and final thing he brought to the party.

Zoro blinks as he places the small box in his hands. “What's this?”

“Mochi,” Sanji tells him. “It shouldn’t be too sweet, so I don’t want to hear you complaining.”

Zoro looks at Sanji like someone has replaced him with an alien, and Sanji feels his eye twitch slightly. “What?” He demands, and Zoro blinks a couple times a couple times before answering. 

“Nothing,” he mutters, and there is surprisingly no bite to the words. He puts one of the mochi in his mouth and chews thoughtfully. 

“It’s… not bad,” Zoro tells him like it physically pains him to say it, and Sanji has to turn away in order to hide the small smile that makes its way across his face. 

“Be careful marimo,” he teases softly. “That was almost a compliment.”

“You’re still a shit cook,” Zoro grumbles, but Sanji knows by now that he doesn’t mean it. 

Sanji hates Zoro; the marimo is dumb, has no manners, and has a lazy attitude towards everything that pisses Sanji off. He hates him, so he’ll let the idiot copy his notes when he falls asleep in history class, and when they fight, neither of them really ever gets _hurt_.

(Okay, maybe Sanji doesn’t actually _hate_ the other boy, but he’ll never _ever_ tell Zoro that.)

“Zoro, Sanji!” Luffy calls them over, and they both walk to the living room where everyone else is lounging on the couch, eating their cake happily. Luffy is practically vibrating with a palpable excitement, and in his lap is the small bag Sanji had spotted Vivi carrying when she arrived.

“What’s that?” Zoro asks with his mouth partway full of mochi (Sanji definitely regrets giving it to him _now_ ). 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” he snipes at the marimo, and Zoro rolls his eyes at him. 

“It’s Vivi's present!” Luffy answers Zoro brightly. 

“Oh, Vivi-chwan you didn’t have to!” Sanji tells the other girl, twirling around her gratefully. 

“It’s nothing that big,” Vivi says shyly. “Go on, Luffy, you can open it now.”

Luffy pulls the tissue paper out of the bag, and he digs around inside for a bit before pulling out a bunch of strings. 

“They’re friendship bracelets,” Vivi explains, holding up her wrist to the one on her wrist. Hers is made of woven strings of gold and white, and in the middle of the bracelet is a small X charm. “The red and yellow one is Luffy’s, the green and black one is Zoro’s, the orange and white one is Nami’s, the yellow and brown one is Usopp’s, the one with the two blues is Sanji’s, and the pink and blue one is Chopper’s.”

Sanji holds up his in reverence, practically shocked speechless. It’s literally a _symbol_ of their friendship- something that his _friend_ made specially for _him_ as a gift because they’re _friends-_ and Sanji can’t help the tears that start to prick at his eyes. 

Thankfully, nobody seems to be paying much attention to him because Chopper literally bursts into tears, so he uses the distraction to wipe at his eyes discreetly. 

“Oh Chopper, what’s wrong?” Vivi asks worriedly. “Do you not like it?”

Chopper shakes his head frantically. “I love it!” He practically shouts, and Vivi blinks in confusion.

“Then why…?”

Chopper sniffs. “I’ve never- I’ve never had friends before,” he confesses miserably, and Sanji can’t help but smile self-deprecatingly as he shares the younger boy’s sentiment. “This is the first time I’ve ever-“ he cuts off to sob. 

Everyone hovers around him, unsure of what to say, but thankfully, Luffy is the one to save them.

“Group hug!” He announces, wrapping himself around Chopper. Everyone immediately follows his example, crowding around the younger boy. Sanji finds himself squished in along with them, caught in Luffy’s impossibly long reach. 

Eventually, they all separate to put on their bracelets, Sanji immediately moving to help Nami first, and then Luffy- honestly, how the younger boy even manages to get _dressed_ in the morning, Sanji doesn’t understand (he’d bet money that Sabo and Ace have to help him), and then after that Usopp who asks him awkwardly and Sanji immediately complies. When he finally turns to do it himself, he struggles, bending his wrist weirdly in order to knot it.

“Here,” someone says, and suddenly there’s a much larger hand wrapping itself around his thin wrist.

“What-“ Sanji barely makes out before Zoro’s leaning over his wrist, having just finished helping Chopper tie his own. He ties it methodically, making sure it’s not too tight and not too loose at the same time. 

When he finishes, he looks up and does a slight double take when he looks at Sanji’s baffled face, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Their faces are uncomfortably close together and Zoro’s hand is _still_ wrapped around his wrist.

Sanji clears his throat, causing Zoro to drop his wrist like he’s been burnt and turn away from him. “Thanks,” Sanji mutters, and Zoro grunts in response. His face is strangely red from the Christmas lights, and Sanji looks down at the bracelet around his wrist.

“Do you need me to tie yours?” He asks a little awkwardly, and Zoro shakes his head.

“Chopper already did.”

“I see,” he mutters, feeling put off by the entire interaction. He’s always fighting or bickering with the marimo, so more civil interactions like this are… strange. 

“Let’s watch a movie!” Luffy suggests (more like _demands_ ), and Usopp immediately perks up. 

“I have Home Alone!” He offers, but Luffy frowns.

“No, we gotta watch Die Hard! It’s a Christmas classic!” And everyone balks at him. 

“Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie,” Nami smacks him. “And not all of us celebrate Christmas, anyway.”

Sanji honestly has no idea what either of those movies are (Judge never allows them to watch movies, so the movies he does know are ones that Zeff took him to see in theater), so he just nods along and agrees with Nami. 

“Die Hard is a Christmas movie!” Zoro argues. “It takes place on Christmas Eve.”

Sanji kicks him and gives him a glare, and Zoro scowls right back at him which starts an impromptu wrestling match between the two of them that Nami stops by giving them both her smack of love. 

“Since it’s Chopper’s birthday, he should pick the movie,” Vivi suggests, and everyone immediately quiets at her absolutely genius idea (as expected of Vivi-chwan!). 

Chopper looks mildly uncomfortable at all the attention focused on him, but seems to consider the statement. “How about How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” He suggests shyly. “Is that okay, even though it is a Christmas movie?”

“It’s a much better idea than _Die Hard_ ,” Nami agrees, sending Luffy and Zoro a glare. 

They all settle down around Usopp’s TV as he digs around through his selection of movies. Sanji can’t help but play around with the bracelet on his wrist as he sits down on the floor by the couch. The blue bracelet stands out against the pale skin of his wrist, and he traces the X charm with a smile on his face. 

Even though he goes back to the Vinsmoke manor the best day, for once he’s not nervous. Just because he’ll be far away from his friends doesn’t mean he’s going to be alone. He’ll be able to talk to them through the phone, and he’ll have a bracelet around his wrist to remind him of them. 

_It’s going to be okay_ , he thinks to himself. _I’m going to be okay_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ace, Luffy, and Sabo watch die hard every Christmas and nobody can convince me otherwise.  
> Also I’m weird like this and Usopp’s favorite movie is Home Alone because it’s about a boy who’s home alone for the holidays but is tricky like Usopp when it comes to fighting, so Usopp sees himself in the main character not only cause they’re similar but also because Usopp is always home alone. Chopper’s favorite movie is How the Grinch Stole Christmas because it’s about a monster who at the end become accepted by the townspeople and makes friends (just a small detail, idk if anyone notices or cares haha)
> 
> This chapter also inspired me to start braiding friendship bracelets, and I’m currently on my fifth one.
> 
> Anyway all that aside, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and next Friday’s chapter will be about winter break at the Vinsmoke’s (angst alert). Please leave comments and kudos :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early this week~

He is not fucking okay.

Vivi’s open mouthed expression from the other side of the room makes him want to bolt out the door, and he can see Reiju giving him worried looks as she notices the paler than usual color of his face. 

He’s so fucking _stupid_. 

He should’ve known she was coming, considering that he can see Viola and her younger cousin a couple feet away from Vivi. The gala was for all the larger companies in this area, and Alabasta Co. is definitely included in that.

“Sanji?” Vivi asks as she walks over, and he can see his brothers perk up from a couple feet away. “What are you doing here?”

Sanji gives her a smile that probably comes out more as a grimace, but before he can answer her question, Niji interrupts him. “Who’s this?” He asks, dragging his eyes up Vivi’s form, very obviously checking her out. 

Sanji knows how much of a dick Niji is to women, so he puts himself between Vivi and his older brother protectively. “My _friend_ ,” Sanji hisses, giving Niji a pointed glare.

The attempt at intimidation is a bit of a gamble because Sanji knows that out of all of his brothers, at this point he’s probably the strongest, but their mentality of superiority from childhood hasn’t _quite_ faded yet. Sometimes they know not to mess with him, but sometimes it has the opposite effect and they purposely go out of their way _to_ fuck with him. 

Sanji can practically see Niji weighing his options. He can push the issue right now and possibly make a scene, risking the anger of Judge (which is worse than anything Sanji can do to him), or he can wait until they get home and do this (thankfully) out of the eyes of Vivi. 

Niji seems to settle on the latter, but he obviously can’t resist a quick jab at Sanji, scoffing at him with a condescending air. “Didn’t think you even _had_ any friends.”

Sanji stiffens at the low blow, clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to dispel his anger. He wants to kick Niji in his stupid fucking face, but there’s no way he’s going to be the one to make a scene right now. 

“Guess you were wrong about me, then,” he says flippantly, forcing a smug smirk on his face. 

Unfortunately, he doesn't piss Niji off, and instead the other boy raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Keep telling yourself that, _Sanji_ ,” he drawls, turning around and walking away. 

_Failure, worthless, unloveable-_ “Sanji?” Vivi asks, cutting Sanji out of his thoughts. 

He whirls around with the biggest (fakest) smile he can manage, bowing at Vivi with all of his usual dramatics and flourish. “Vivi-chwan!” He croons. “I didn’t think I’d see you here!”

Vivi smiles at him, put at ease once Sanji starts acting like his usual self. “I guess I’ve never introduced you properly to my father, huh?” She asks, most likely referring to the fact that she’s never really told the rest of their friends that she’s, well… _rich_ (even though Sanji already knew).

She grabs his arm, pulling him gently over to where her father stands at the other side of the room. There’s a small crowd of people around him, and Sanji recognizes Walpol from Wapometal Toys standing beside him. Sanji himself has never met Wapol, but he knows Viola dislikes him because of his spoiled attitude (and the fact that he runs a competing toy company). 

“Father!” Vivi calls out, and Cobra immediately brightens at his daughter's voice. His eyes narrow as soon as he sees Sanji beside her, and Sanji can practically see his Protective Dad switch flip on. 

“Who’s this?” He asks, not unpleasantly, but not quite friendly either.

“This is one of the friends I was telling you about,” Vivi says. “This is Sanji. He’s the one who likes to cook.”

Sanji thanks whatever higher power there is out there that none of the Vinsmokes were around because if Judge heard that he was _cooking_ , he’d be dead by tomorrow morning. 

“Nice to meet you sir,” Sanji says as politely as possible. 

“Sanji…?” Cobra asks, looking between the two of them expectantly for a surname. 

He can tell the moment Vivi realizes that she doesn’t actually _know_ his surname, and he steps forward ever so slightly. “Vinsmoke. Vinsmoke Sanji, sir.”

He can _feel_ Vivi beside him looking at him in shock, and by the way recognition dawns in her father’s eyes at the name, they’re obviously familiar with what his family does. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Sanji,” Cobra says with a polite smile that doesn’t _quite_ reach his eyes. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from Vivi.”

_I’m trusting my daughter that you’re a good person_ , his eyes seem to say, and Sanji really just wants to erase his despicable family from existence. There’s a warning in his eyes, stronger than it was before. _If you do anything my daughter, you’ll regret it._

Sanji gives him a smile that’s just a little bit short of pained. “Your daughter is a wonderful person, I’m blessed to be able to call myself her friend.” 

Cobra nods, but before they continue their awkward conversation, Vivi drags him off to a more secluded corner. 

“You’re a _Vinsmoke_?” She asks him, disbelief written all over her face. “I thought Zeff was your dad?”

“He is,” Sanji says, and Vivi looks at him confusedly so he elaborates. “Judge is my biological father, but Zeff has always been more of a father to me than he has.”

Understanding seems to dawn in her eyes, but she still looks slightly confused. “But I thought you went to school with the others?”

“I do,” Sanji tells her, and Vivi just looks more confused. Sanji sighs, not really wanting to get into the whole entire Vinsmoke mess. “It’s just… complicated. I made a deal with Judge, so I could go to Grand Line High School instead of Germa Technical High School, and since it's so far away, I live with Zeff most of the time. I come back here on the weekends, during breaks, and over the summer.”

“Oh,” Vivi says, processing the information. There’s a long pause before she asks the next question. “Do any of the others know?”

Sanji bites his lip, his craving for a cigarette almost overwhelming (Judge would kill him if he openly smoked here though). As soon as he gets back to the Vinsmoke Manor, he’s probably going to smoke a whole pack because of how stressful this night has been so far. 

“They’ve probably heard my surname at school, but I don’t think they know,” he tells her, looking down at his shoes in shame. “It’s not really something I want them to know.”

Vivi lets out a slow breath, and Sanji just wants to _die_. He knows that his family does not define him, but if the others find out they might not agree.

“I guess I’d understand why you wouldn’t want them to know,” Vivi says slowly, then she frowns ever so slightly. “That blue haired guy before, was that your brother?”

“Yeah,” Sanji answers, and she gives him an assessing look before breaking out in a slow smile. 

“You don’t seem like what I’ve heard about the Vinsmokes,” she tells him dryly. 

Sanji lets out a sharp laugh. “Yeah,” he agrees. “My brothers and I- we don’t really have much in common.”

“Is this why you were so upset about leaving for winter break?” Vivi asks. “Because you don’t really get along with your family?”

Sanji nods, and to his surprise, Vivi wraps her arms around him. He stiffens in her embrace, but forces himself to relax, hugging her back. 

“Thank you for telling me,” Vivi says. “It’s probably not very easy to talk about this, right?” 

“Yeah,” Sanji agrees, touched at her concern. _What have I done to deserve friends like this?_ He can’t help but ask himself.

“You know, we live pretty close by,” Vivi tells him as she lets go. “You can come hang out at my house if you ever want to get away.”

Sanji blinks down at her in surprise for a few seconds before a slow smile spreads across his face. “I’d like that,” he tells her. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

Of course, he can’t intrude on Vivi too much because he doesn’t want to bother her or be annoying, but he would never pass up on the opportunity to spend more time with the girl. 

He’s pulled away from his friend by Reiju gesturing him over, and he waves goodbye to Vivi with promises to hang out later; however, he doesn’t miss the looks his brothers give him, and despite Vivi’s promises of refuge, he knows that it’s still going to be a rough break. 

...

“What’s that on your wrist?” Yonji asks curiously, grabbing his arm with an uncomfortably tight grip as he jerks Sanji towards him so he can get a better look. 

“None of your business,” Sanji hisses, jamming his foot down onto Yonji’s which forces him to let go and hop away. He rubs his foot with a scowl, but Sanji knows he isn’t clear yet as Niji and Ichiji come forwards. _They’re like sharks_ , Sanji thinks as his brothers close in on him. _Start swarming around me when they smell the first hints of blood in the water._

“It’s a _friendship bracelet_ ,” Niji sneers in disbelief, and Sanji shoves his hand in his pocket to hide it but it’s already too late. 

“Awwww,” Yonji coos mockingly. “Does wittle Sanji’s _friends_ ” he says with air quotes “feel so bad for your pathetic ass that they made you a _bracelet_?”

“Not like you can talk,” Sanji snaps back. “Do you even have friends that you didn’t _buy_?”

Yonji growls, grabbing Sanji by the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards him. “At least I’m not always running away like a _coward_ ,” he spits in Sanji’s face. “Is that what you’re doing right now? Running away to your _friends_ to beg and cry for help?”

Is that what he’s doing? Sanji freezes, feeling like Yonji just punched him. Vivi invited him over, but is that just because she feels bad for him? Does she even _like_ having him around? He had told her that he would come over today, but is he crossing a line? Is he being too clingy?

“I have an idea,” Ichiji says slowly, a smirk on his face, and Sanji’s gaze snaps up to his oldest brother warily. “Niji, Yonji, keep him still. I’m going to find a pair of scissors to cut that bracelet.”

Worries about Vivi immediately cast aside (for now), Sanji jerks out of Yonji’s grip, backing away from him and Niji. He _cannot_ let them cut his bracelet. Memories of Chopper crying when he received his, tying the bracelet onto Nami, Luffy, and Usopp, and his and Zoro’s strange civility when the marimo helped him tie his bracelet flash through his mind, and he growls at his brothers like some kind of cornered animal. 

Yonji makes the first move, reaching out to restrain Sanji, so he immediately kicks forwards, catching his younger brother in the stomach. 

Niji tries to take advantage of his distraction, but Sanji pivots around so that he can kick him too, catching him in the side.

They both fall backwards slightly, but not it’s enough to do any real damage, only resulting in them getting more pissed. 

Yonji growls and punches forwards, his anger making him sloppy. Out of all of them, Yonji has the most raw power, but he’s the stupidest and gives into anger the quickest so all of them can beat him in a one on one fight. Sanji uses his sloppiness to his advantage, bending backwards to avoid the punch and to fall back into a handstand from which he kicks Yonji in the face. 

Yonji falls backwards after that one, and Sanji notes with much satisfaction that he gave his youngest brother a nosebleed. 

Ichiji rolls his eyes at the incompetence of the other two, but he doesn’t step in or make any move to join the fight. Usually, he doesn’t, choosing instead to watch over all of them amusedly- as if Sanji couldn’t just beat him up whenever he wanted to. 

Yonji gets up, his face red with anger (and blood). “Fucking _failure_ ,” he spits out, and the old taunt distracts Sanji for just the right amount of time for Niji to kick him in the side. He’s knocked off balance for enough time to give Yonji the opportunity to sock Sanji in the face. It lands right on his eye, and his vision goes black for an instant, small yellow-ish dots flickering across. Fuck, Sanji manages to think. _That’s going to bruise for sure._

“What the _fuck_ do you guys think you’re doing?” Comes a new voice, and Sanji looks up to see Reiju standing above them, her face tight with anger. She takes one look at Sanji on the ground and the blood coming out of Yonji’s nose before coming down to smack the back of Ichiji’s head. 

“We have _pictures_ tomorrow, for fucks sake,” Reiju hisses. “You can do this literally any day _except_ today- and why the _fuck_ did you hit the _face_?”

Even if his brothers aren’t exactly scared of Reiju, they’re all scared of Judge, so they all give each other nervous looks. Sanji mentally berates himself because _fuck what happens if he broke Yonji’s nose?_ Yonji looks at Sanji’s face and he knows he’s thinking the exact same thing because there’s _no way_ Sanji isn’t going to have a black eye tomorrow. 

There’s a mutual agreement that passes between the two of them- one that goes without words: _If you don’t tell Judge, I won’t tell him either._

His brothers turn around and leave so that Reiju and Sanji are the only ones remaining. Reiju looks _pissed_ , and Sanji can’t help but feel a little sheepish. Reiju tries her best to keep all of them out of trouble, caring for them in her own way, but it’s almost impossible for her to protect all of them and herself. 

“I can’t help you if you insist on picking fights with them,” she tells him, finally breaking the silence, and Sanji nods at her. 

“I know,” he acknowledges her, and she sighs. 

“That’s going to bruise,” she tells him and walks away, her stress evident in the stiff way she walks. 

Sanji goes up to the bathroom to check the mirror, cursing under his breath when he sees the wound. The area around his eye is already red, and Sanji winces when he gives it an experimental prod. 

He knows it’s going to be almost impossible to hide right now, so he looks down at his phone regretfully to send a message to Vivi.  


**Sanji**  
Something came up so I can’t make it  
Maybe we can hang out after Christmas instead?  
**Vivi**  
Sounds good with me!  
Everything ok?  
**Sanji**  
Yeah just some last minute plans for Christmas pictures

He sighs as he puts his phone down. How the fuck is he going to hide this for pictures tommorow? He could borrow some foundation from Reiju, but… 

He pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a slow drag as he muses over his options. The nicotine in his system helps him relax, and it doesn’t take long before a completely different idea hits him. He gets back up to look at the mirror, moving his part so that his bangs hide the injured eye. 

_Perfect_ , he thinks with a self accomplished smile that immediately fades. 

“Fuck,” he mutters to himself, sliding down so that he’s sitting with his back to the bathroom door. He buries his head under his arms, curling in around himself with his cigarette hanging from his fingers precariously. _Winter break seriously can’t pass soon enough..._

…

Sanji sighs as he looks up at the clock on his desk, staring at the number regretfully: 11:59, it reads. _One minute away from the new year_ , he thinks to himself, looking around the giant piles of books all around him. He’s spent almost the majority of his break thus far locked up in his room studying for midterms and hiding from his brothers. 

There’s a mountain of cigarette butts on his ashtray on the desk, and the smell of smoke is so prevalent that he has to get up and open his window.

_A good omen for the next year, huh_ , he thinks to himself miserably, and he looks down at his phone. Vivi isn’t home, instead having gone back to Luffy’s New Years party, so he can’t celebrate the new year at her house. 

He looks down at the watch on his wrist, a Christmas present from Reiju. He had gotten her a small necklace with a purple moth charm that she loved, but out of their family the two of them were the only ones who actually exchanged gifts (albeit secretly) with each other. 

The second hand ticks closer and closer, and Sanji starts his own little countdown. 

_10_

_9_

_8_

_7_

_6_

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

He jumps when his phone suddenly starts buzzing, and he picks it up to see the caller ID. _Nami-swan_ , it reads, and Sanji immediately swipes right to answer it. 

_0_

“HAPPY NEW YEAR SANJI!” Comes a sudden shout, and Sanji looks down at his phone screen in surprise. He hadn’t realized that it had been a video call, so he was immediately taken aback by the sight of _all_ of his friends on his phone screen.

Nami’s in the middle, her hand held out so that everyone is caught in the video. Luffy has his face practically shoved against hers so that he’s in the middle too, and he can see Usopp, Vivi, Chopper, and even the darn marimo is there in the corner of the screen. His heart skips a beat when he sees Ace waving from behind them, and Sabo is beside him (but Sanji doesn’t really notice him). 

It takes a bit for him to process everything, but Sanji breaks into a large smile, the pain it causes to his black eye completely forgotten at the sight of all his friends. “Happy new year!” He laughs back at them happily. 

“It’s not the same without Sanji!” Luffy complains loudly with a large pout. “You should celebrate with us next year.”

Sanji feels his face fall slightly at that, knowing that’s pretty much an impossible dream. Judge won’t let him go back to Zeff for the holidays, claiming that having Sanji around to go to galas is good for the publicity of his company. 

“Maybe,” he tells Luffy anyway because he doesn’t have the heart to tell his friend no. 

“Did you change your hair?” Nami asks, and Sanji grins.

“Nami-swan noticed~” he practically sings, happy to have the girl's attention even if it’s not quite what he wants it directed towards. 

A loud _boom_ echoes through the call, making Sanji jump in surprise and almost drop his phone. 

“What was that sound?” He asks them, a little on edge. Even after living with Zeff for so long and growing accustomed to the loud clanging and banging of the Baratie kitchen, Sanji still can’t quite shake his instinctive reaction to loud noises. 

“Fireworks!” Luffy says excitedly. He grabs onto Nami, shaking her excitedly. “Nami you gotta show him the fireworks!”

“Wait- shoot- _Luffy, get off_!” He hears Nami say before the screen is flipped around, allowing Sanji to see the fireworks outside. 

Sanji has seen fireworks before, but never that close up. The Vinsmokes never really celebrate _anything_ unless the company is involved, so Sanji himself has never gone out to watch the fireworks during the New Year. 

He notices Usopp’s younger neighbors, Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi playing around with strange looking sticks that fireworks burn off of, and he frowns. 

“What are those?” He asks, pointing at them and then frowns when he realizes that they can’t see what he’s pointing at.

“The sparklers?” Usopp questions from off the screen, and Sanji shrugs. 

“I dunno what they’re called.”

“Here, let me show you-“ There’s a long pause where the video goes blurry as Usopp keeps moving it around, and he can distantly hear someone yelling _something_ , but not much else over the sound of Usopp shifting the camera around.

“Here,” Usopp finally announces, having settled the camera so that it has a clear view of Luffy outside with Ace in the snow with said stick in his hand. “Watch this.”

Ace pulls out a lighter (because as Sanji has learned recently, he always carries one around with him despite not being a smoker like Sanji) and lights the end of the stick. The end of the stick erupts into sparks, and Sanji understands where they got their name from as Luffy swings the little mini firework around. 

He leans forwards ever so slightly and begins adjusting his phone so that he can prop it up and watch properly. His attention is drawn to the way the sparklers light up Ace’s face and his smile as he laughs at Luffy. 

_It’s not fair_ , Sanji thinks to himself, wanting more than anything to be where his friends are right now. 

“How are you?” Comes a new voice through the phone, and it takes Sanji a couple seconds to recognize it as Vivi. 

“Tired,” Sanji admits, leaning forwards with his elbows on the table as he rests his chin in his hands. “Been studying for midterms these last few days.”

He hears someone groan from off the screen. 

“Fuck,” comes Nami’s voice. “I almost forgot about those.”

“They’re not too bad freshman year,” Sanji tells her. “As long as you study, you’ll be fine.”

“I hope so,” Nami says. 

“How was the math midterm?” Chopper asks him, and Sanji grimaces, remembering his math final the year before. He had gotten a B, so he had spent the entire weekend at the Vinsmoke’s smoking like a chimney, constantly afraid that Judge would find out. In the end, he didn’t because Sanji ended the class with an A, but it had been one of the most stressful weekends of Sanji’s entire life. 

“What’s your current grade in the class?” Sanji asks him, and Chopper doesn’t even have to think before responding. 

“98.4%”

“Yeah, then you’re fine,” Sanji tells him. “How you do on the final doesn’t matter as long as you don’t fail it.”

“Stop talking about school,” Zoro grumbles from behind the camera still, and Sanji watches as Luffy moves to come back inside, his sparkler run out. 

“Can’t help that some of us actually study,” Sanji snipes at him, and he knows Zoro’s rolling his eyes without even seeing him. 

“Sanji!” Luffy shouts, having returned from his outside adventure. There’s another scuffle with the camera, but it eventually gets turned back around so that Sanji gets a really good look up close at Luffy’s face. His face is still flushed slightly from the cold, and Sanji can hear Ace’s laughter from somewhere on the other side of the screen. 

“Hey, Luffy,” Sanji says, unable to stop the fond smile that finds its way onto his face. 

“What did you think of the sparklers? It was cool, right?”

“Very cool,” Sanji agrees, and Luffy must see the wistful expression on his face because Luffy gives Sanji one of his more serious looks. 

“Sanji’s going to come back home, right? So we can all be together again?”

_Home_ , Sanji thinks, the idea of them being his _home_ hitting him much harder than he thought it would. 

“Yeah,” he tells Luffy, his voice coming out weak. “I’ll be back once school starts up again.” 

“Good,” Luffy says, his voice firm. “It’s not right without Sanji here.” 

Sanji gives him a watery smile, doing his best not to cry. Stupid Luffy and his stupidly touching sentiments. 

He spends the rest of the night on a video call with his friends, laughing as they cover Zoro with glitter while he’s sleeping and yelling at them as he sees the takeout they ordered as a pathetic excuse for a dinner. 

_Just a couple more days_ , he thinks to himself, looking at the calendar on his wall. _I’ll be back in a couple more days._

_I’ll be home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter (will be posted at least by next Friday):  
> Nami figures something out and Sanji learns to accept himself a little more
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed :D Please leave comments and kudos to tell me what you think


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early again this week! Honestly, I wonder if Thursday will just be the day I post now.

“I’m so fucking glad midterms are over,” Sanji groans, sitting down next to Usopp, Nami, and Chopper on the ground outside school. He notices Zoro spread out in the ground beside them, snoring loudly (probably didn’t notice him before because his hair blended into the grass around him).

“Tell me about it,” Usopp mutters in agreement. “All in favor of coming over to my house and watching a movie today say aye.”

“Aye,” Nami, Sanji, and Chopper say simultaneously. Zoro snores.

“Where’s Luffy?” Nami asks with a frown, picking up her phone. “He’s usually the first one here.”

“Call him?” Sanji suggests, picking up his own phone and looking at their group chat. Luffy hasn’t said anything, which in itself isn’t too strange since the black haired boy usually prefers to call, but it’s very unlike him to not sprint out of school as soon as he gets the chance.

“He's coming over right now,” Usopp informs them, pointing out towards the school gate. Usopp has the best eyesight out of all of them, so Sanji decides to trust him, squinting over in the direction that Usopp pointed out. 

Sure enough, there’s Luffy, but he isn’t alone. Both Sabo and Ace are beside him, and the three of them are arguing amongst themselves loudly. 

“What’s up?” Sanji greets as the three of them come over, and he immediately cringes at himself. _What’s up? How awkward can you sound?_

“So glad midterms are over,” Ace says, sitting down on the ground _right next to Sanji_. “Now I don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”

“Just because you’ve already been accepted into university doesn’t mean that you can slack off now,” Sabo scolds him, settling down on the ground in front of Zoro. 

Ace makes a face at his younger brother. “You’re just mad because you thought I couldn’t make it into the same university as you.”

“You’ve already been accepted into university?” Sanji asks, the knowledge practically slapping him in the face. Ace is a _senior_ which means that next year, Sanji won’t get to see him anymore. 

_It’s not like it matters_ , Sanji argues with himself. _Nothing is ever going to come out of this crush. Ace will probably be so disgusted with you if he finds out._

“Ah I forgot you weren’t there during the New Years party,” Ace says. “I got accepted into New World University along with Sabo.”

“Though I got a scholarship and you didn’t,” Sabo brags pointedly, and Ace scowls at him. 

“Fuck off,” he tells his brother, picking a rock off the ground and throwing it at him. Sabo dodges, and the rock sails past him to hit an unsuspecting Zoro on the head. Sanji bursts out laughing as Zoro wakes up with a start, immediately glaring at Ace.

“Sorry, Zoro,” Ace laughs. “I was aiming at Sabo.”

“Well, your aim fucking sucks,” Zoro hisses out at him, much more hostile than the situation calls for. Ace seems a little taken aback by his reaction, narrowing his eyes slightly at Zoro’s tone. Thankfully, Luffy is unaffected by the sudden tension, and his signature “ _shi shi shi_ ” laugh eases some of the strange tension in the air. 

“So, Luffy,” Usopp changes the subject, nervously looking between Zoro and Ace who are still glaring at each other. “Wanna come over today and watch a movie?”

“A movie?” Luffy asks excitedly, peeking up at the idea. 

“No,” Sabo cuts him off before he can respond. “Sorry guys, but Luffy has to come home with us today. His grandpa is coming over to visit, and he’s not allowed to abandon us to deal with him ourselves.”

“But _Sabo_ ,” Luffy whines, pouting at his older brother. 

“No buts.”

“Looks like we’re watching it without you then,” Zoro says with a smirk, causing Luffy to whine louder.

“ _Sabo!_ ”

“Nope,” Sabo says, immune to Luffy’s whining by now. “C’mon, we should head back soon before Garp comes looking for us.”

They all stand up, moving to split up, but Sanji can’t help but linger. 

“Congrats on making into university,” he tells Ace shyly, trying to will away the blush that’s creeping up his face.

“Thanks, Sanji,” Ace says, and then he reaches over and _ruffles Sanji’s hair_. Sanji’s brain immediately shuts down, and he’s pretty sure that he has some kind of out of body experience to cope with the fact that _Ace’s hand is in his hair, holy shit_. 

When he blinks back into reality, Ace has walked off with Luffy in a headlock, and the rest of his friends are already walking off in the direction of Usopp’s house. _Not all of them_ , he realizes as he notices that he’s been left alone with Nami who is looking at him with a cat-like grin on her face. 

“Sanji-kun,” she starts off, her voice slow and sweet in a way that would send him swooning in any other situation. “What was that, _hm_?”

_Fuck_ , Sanji thinks as he lets out a nervous laugh, and her smile grows a little more dangerous at the sound. “W-what was what, Nami-swan?”

“ _That_ ,” she says, almost secretively, and Sanji desperately looks for an excuse to run away. Once it’s obvious that Sanji isn’t going to answer her question, Nami decides to continue.

“You have a crush on Luffy’s older brother,” she accuses with a grin, and Sanji feels his heart drop into his stomach.

“T-that’s impossible, Nami-swan, Ace is a guy-“

“You didn’t seem to mind that a couple seconds ago.”

“I’m not like that,” Sanji blurts out, hating the way his hands are starting to shake. “I swear- I’m not… gay,” he says the word like its some kind of disgusting thing because _it is_ and _he is_.

There’s a long pause where Nami takes in a sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening and her expression softening. “Oh, Sanji, you know I’m okay with it, right?”

He stops and looks at her, a little confused. _She’s okay with what? Him being… gay?_ Sanji feels like someone just flipped the entire universe over on its head. “W-what?” He asks, his voice coming out as barely a whisper. 

“That makes so much sense now,” Nami continues on, oblivious to the fact that Sanji’s still trying to figure out what’s happening. “All the pampering and the flirting- its because you're trying to hide that you’re gay.”

“No!” Sanji says, the word coming out with way more force than he intended. “I’m not-“ he bites his lip, struggling with the words and how to say it. “I like both,” he admits finally. 

It’s the first time he’s ever said it out loud, and it feels strangely… freeing. Like he’s been carrying a weight on his shoulders and he just finally let it go. 

Nami nods as if it makes so much sense- as if it's something completely _normal_ , and Sanji can’t help but stutter after her.

“You don’t- you don’t hate me?”

“Why would I hate you for something like that?” Nami asks, her expression stricken. 

“B-but I’m not _normal_ ,” Sanji stutters out, the words getting stuck in his mouth. He’s so confused by the entire situation that he can’t even filter what’s coming through his mouth.

“Oh my _god_ , Sanji,” Nami gasps. “You- would you say anybody in our entire friend group is _normal_?” 

“No, but-“

“So how is this any different?” Nami asks him. “Nobody is going to judge you or hate you or- wait, am I the only person who knows?”

Sanji nods, ever so slightly, and Nami takes in another sharp breath. “Sanji, does this- does this have anything to do with your family?”

“My… family?” Sanji asks slowly, thinking of Zeff and all of his teachings. _A real man doesn’t kick a woman, a real man doesn’t cry._

_A real man doesn’t like men._

If you asked Sanji what his greatest fear was, it wouldn’t be Judge, his brothers, or even The Room that they used to trap him in; Sanji wouldn’t even consider his claustrophobia much of a “phobia” per say, just an involuntary reaction of his body that he can’t control. 

No, Sanji’s greatest fear would be disappointing Zeff. 

He’s the man who took him in, gave him a home, gave him a father, gave him a dream and nurtured it, and no matter what happens, Sanji never, _ever_ wants to disappoint him. He doesn’t ever want the contempt on Judge and his brother’s face to appear on Zeff's, and he doesn’t _ever_ want Zeff to consider him a failure like they do. 

“Vivi told us over winter break that you and your family… don’t really get along well,” Nami continues on, watching his expression carefully. 

“It’s not- it’s not them,” Sanji admits. “I don’t give a shit what they think.”

Nami blinks up at him confusedly. “Then…?”

“There’s someone… who’s very important to me, and he… doesn’t really…” he trails off, unsure of what to say, but Nami seems to understand.

“Come here,” she says, opening her arms up for a hug. Sanji would never say no to such a rare gesture of affection from Nami, so he steps into her arms, wrapping his around her in return.

“I don’t know about that person, but I can tell you for sure that the rest of us will support you,” Nami tells him, rubbing his back comfortingly. “And... if it makes you feel any better, I’m lesbian.” 

At that, Sanji pauses and pulls away to look at her in surprise. “You… like girls?” 

“Yep,” Nami affirms. “I’ve never had any difficulty coming out, so I can’t really relate to what you’re feeling, but for what it’s worth, you’re not alone.”

“Oh,” Sanji says, feeling a little lost. “That’s- I see.”

He’s not really sure what to say, but there’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love welling up inside of him. It’s powerful enough to make him want to cry, but he fights back the urge because he won’t _ever_ cry in front of a woman like that (at least that way he’ll be able to uphold some of Zeff’s teachings). “Thank you, Nami.”

“Of course,” she smiles. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

_Friends_ , Sanji repeats in his mind. _These people are all my precious friends._

“Yeah,” he agrees with Nami, a slow smile spreading across his face. “That’s what friends are for.”

...

Despite the fact that Sanji’s deepest darkest secret was just uncovered, not much changed after Nami’s confrontation that day- They just went to Usopp’s and watched a movie afterwards like usual. The others did wonder why they took so long to get there, but Nami told them that she had forgotten something back at school and Sanji went back with her to get it. 

In fact, the most noticeable change after that day didn’t have anything to do with Sanji at all. For some reason, a strange tension would often settle whenever Zoro and Ace were in the same room. It wasn’t anything like the constant bickering between Zoro and Sanji, but it was almost suffocating how the two of them just seemed to stop being able to get along. It eventually escalated to the point where Luffy got involved and told the two of them to cut it out. 

When Sanji did ask about it, Usopp told him that it had really started back during the New Year’s party when Ace had made some side comment about how he wasn’t struggling in any of his classes despite having narcolepsy (which was an obvious dig at Zoro’s tendency to fall asleep during class). It was strange to all of them because while Zoro may be more confrontational and competitive than most, it usually never results in such open hostility. 

While Luffy had gotten the two of them to “make up”, the damage was done, and the two of them were constantly on edge around each other. It made Sanji grumpy, and even made him hate Zoro _more_. Because of him, Ace tended to hang around less, and he missed a lot of opportunities to be around the older boy. 

Thankfully (or not, depending on how he looked at it), Nami (beautiful, amazing, perfect, Nami-swan) seemed pretty dead set on helping Sanji with his crush, and would often set him and Ace up together or push them together whenever she had the opportunity. 

Sanji was grateful, but he made sure that Nami knew his crush on Ace would never bring anything to fruition.

“You mean, you don’t want a relationship? Not even a little bit?” 

“I mean,” Sanji starts, curling in on himself so that he’s sitting on his bed with his knees to his chest as he talks with Nami over the phone. “It’s not like I don’t want one, it's just… even on the extremely rare chance that my feelings are required, we could never really go out on dates or anything because of my…. you know.”

“I guess,” Nami says, sounding a little distant. There’s a shuffling sound from the other line as Nami shifts around. “Hey, Sanji,” she starts, her voice significantly softer. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course!” Sanji tells her without hesitating. Nami has helped him so much the last couple days about coming to terms with a lot of things he didn’t realize he needed to talk to someone about, so he immediately brightens at the idea of returning the favor. 

There’s a long silence on the other end of the phone as Nami draws in a deep breath. “I think…. I think I like Vivi.”

Sanji blinks. Pauses. And then-

“Holy fucking shit, really?”

“Yeah,” Nami says. “She’s just- you know, she’s _incredible_.”

Sanji smiles into his phone, and he knows Nami can probably hear it in his voice. “Yeah, I don’t blame you.”

Nami laughs on the other end. “She’s not your type though, is she~”

Sanji immediately flushes red. “Wha- I don’t have a type!”

“Yeah you do,” Nami sings teasingly. “Let’s see… the first guy you ever liked was what, five years older than you? And then your second girlfriend was two years older than you, and now Ace is also… I’m seeing some patterns here.”

“That’s- I don’t have a thing for older people! I’ve liked people my age before!”

“Sure, sure,” Nami teases him, and he can practically see her catlike grin. 

Sanji lets out a long groan, extremely embarrassed but still slightly pleased. _It’s nice_ , he thinks. _Being able to talk to someone like this. It’s fun, too._

“Then what about you? What’s your type?”

“Mine?” Nami asks, sounding surprised. There’s a pause as she thinks it over, humming slightly to herself. “I guess I like girls who are strong and independent, especially when they don’t take shit from other people.”

“Oh, Vivi definitely fits that,” Sanji laughs.

“She’s also gorgeous,” Nami sighs, and Sanji coos.

“You’re beautiful too, Nami-swan!”

“Thanks, Sanji,” she says, her voice fond, and he can hear her rolling her eyes through the phone (he can do that a lot now, considering how often they have these late night talks now). “Sorry that I’m not your type, though.”

“Nami!” He groans, but he can’t help but laugh a bit. 

“Fine, fine,” Nami acquiesces. “What would you say your type is then?”

Sanji goes quiet, thinking about it. He’s always just liked who he’s liked, but if he thinks about it…

“I like women like my mother,” he admits. “She was kind, compassionate, caring, and very beautiful.”

“Was?”

“She died,” Sanji tells her, and Nami goes silent on the other side of the line. 

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly, and Sanji shakes his head, even though she can’t see him. 

“It was a long time ago.”

“I see,” Nami says, and the line falls into an awkward silence. He hears Nami take a deep breath, and he’s about to say something to break the silence before Nami speaks again. “My adopted mother died, too. She was a police officer, and she died on duty because of some gang. Her partner, Genzo, adopted me and my sister right after.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sanji tells her honestly, and he hears Nami hum thoughtfully. 

“You remind me a bit of her,” Nami admits. “Both of you smoke- don’t tell me you don't, I can smell it on you, and you both have the same kind of caretaking nature.”

“Does that mean I’m your type, Nami-swan,” Sanji says jokingly, and Nami lets out a sharp bark of laughter.

“No, you have a dick.”

Sanji bursts into laughter, falling over onto his bed with the strength of it. Apparently, he was pretty loud because there’s immediately a thump on the wall from Zeff in the neighboring room, and Sanji quiets. 

“It’s late, eggplant,” Zeff shouts over. “Get off the phone.”

“Sorry, I gotta go now,” Sanji apologizes to Nami. “My old man’s yelling at me.”

“Aw,” Nami whines. “Okay, then. See you at school tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nami is a lesbian queen, and nobody can ever convince me differently.
> 
> Next weeks chapter: introducing our wonderful historian *cough* I mean history teacher
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave comments and kudos :D


	7. Chapter 7

Considering their group of friends, it takes a remarkably long time for them to get kicked out of the cafeteria. 

Sanji later learns that Usopp and Nami had a bet going, where Usopp had bet that Zoro and Sanji fighting would get them kicked out, and Nami had bet that it would just be Luffy. Naturally- because it’s utter foolishness to ever bet against Nami- it is Luffy who gets them kicked out after he gets caught (not for the first time) eating other people’s food. 

Which leads them to where they are now, standing outside in the rain during lunch. 

“Should we try a classroom?” Nami asks from under the umbrella Sanji is holding out for her. Both Chopper and Usopp are squeezed between them, and if _maybe_ Sanji’s shoulder is getting soaked as he covers the rest of them, nobody notices. 

“I don’t know any that are open,” Sanji frowns, trying to think about any specific teacher that seems reasonable enough to put up with Luffy and the rest of them. “Maybe we should try Franky’s class? Both Usopp and I have him.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Usopp agrees, his teeth clattering. Both the rain and the late January winds are making them desperate, and everyone is pretty keen on finding any place indoors to eat their lunch. 

Well, _most_ of them, Sanji amends as he watches Luffy splash around in the puddles outside. Zoro’s standing out in the rain with just a jacket on, his face drawn in stupid determination as he gets soaked to the bone because he thinks that standing out in the rain is some reasonable form of training (honestly, what an idiot). 

“Excuse me,” a voice comes from behind him, and Sanji nearly jumps out of his skin in shock. He turns around to see his history teacher, Miss Nico, standing out under a dark purple umbrella with a polite smile on her face. “My classroom is open, if you need a place to eat.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on such-“

“Yes please,” Nami, Chopper, and Usopp say almost in tandem, cutting Sanji off. 

Miss Nico smiles, a little wider this time, but it still doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Wonderful. Mr. Vinsmoke and Mr. Roronoa can lead you to my classroom. I’ll be there once I finish printing out all these copies.” 

“Do you need help carrying them?” Sanji asks almost immediately, jumping at the opportunity to assist such a beautiful woman. 

“Your assistance would be welcome,” Miss Nico says with another one of her half smiles.

Sanji hands Usopp the umbrella he’s holding, and he reaches over to hold Miss Nico’s umbrella for her as they walk together to the office because he’ll never make a woman hold the umbrella herself.

“Thank you, Mr. Vinsmoke,” Miss Nico says with a smile, and Sanji gives her one of his own, albeit a little forced after her use of his surname.

“Please, call me Sanji,” he says, and Miss Nico gives him a long look that makes him feel like she’s looking straight through him. While he would gladly be on the receiving end of such an intense look from a lady, something about the way Miss Nico seems to pick him apart with her eyes makes him a little uncomfortable. 

“Of course,” she says eventually, turning away from him. “Forgive me if I made you uncomfortable, that was not my intention. Addressing students by their surnames is an old habit of mine.”

“You could never make me uncomfortable,” Sanji immediately says, not wanting to make the woman feel bad because of him. 

Miss Nico gives him another long look, and Sanji smiles at her pleasantly. He’s never had the opportunity to speak with a teacher outside of class like this, with the exception of Ivankov. 

“The Vinsmoke family has quite a rich history, doesn’t it?” Miss Nico says lightly, and Sanji blinks at her in surprise.

“Ah, yeah,” he agrees with her, thinking back to all the information Judge had drilled into his mind as a child. Sanji, his brothers, and Reiju had been forced to memorize the entirety of their family tree as well as the lives of their more notable ancestors. 

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” She asks. “You’re technically descended from royalty.”

_And murderers_ , Sanji adds in his mind, but doesn’t say anything aloud. Instead, he gives Miss Nico his best smile. 

“I always wanted to be a prince when I was younger,” he confesses a little jokingly. He remembers hiding away from the Vinsmokes wherever he could, reading fairy tale after fairy tale. He wanted to be that person- the person who saves the damsel in distress instead of always being the person that was saved. 

“A commendable goal,” Miss Nico says with a teasing smile, and Sanji lets out a short laugh. “And how about now?”

Sanji blinks at her in surprise. “What?”

“Do you intend to follow in your father’s footsteps and work at Germa Tech?”

“Oh, no,” Sanji says almost immediately. Never once in his life has he wanted to work under his father, and he has no interest in contributing to his business at all. 

“Really?” Miss Nico asks with muted interest. “Then may I ask what you intended to do? If you’re undecided then that’s fine, too.”

He doesn’t see the harm in telling Miss Nico, and he also doesn’t want to lie to a woman. “I actually want to be a chef.”

“Oh?” Miss Nico says, her eyes widening in surprise. “That's quite unexpected.”

She doesn’t sound judgemental, just surprised, so Sanji gives her a pleased smile. “Yep. I’ve been working up money to go to culinary school.”

If Miss Nico wonders why he needs to work when his family is rich, she doesn’t question it, instead nodding sincerely. “East Blue is quite far from your home, is it not?”

“It is,” Sanji agrees, blinking over at her curiously.

“Quite a far place to commute from home daily.”

“I stay with an owner of a restaurant a little ways from here,” Sanji hesitantly admits. They’re starting to move onto a more sensitive topic, and Sanji knows he needs to tread carefully here. Miss Nico definitely seems perceptive, and if anyone would figure it out, it’d probably be her. He’s had teachers like that before- ones that actually pay attention to and care about their students’ well-being outside of their classroom. By now, he’s learned how to stop them before they start figuring things out. 

“I see,” Miss Nico says, and Sanji prepares himself for more questioning, trying to come up with as many excuses as possible to cover up what happens at the Vinsmoke Manor. Surprisingly, she doesn’t push any further, and Sanji breathes a sigh of relief as the office comes into view. 

He opens the door for her, and she thanks him before walking over to the copying machine. He stands to the side as she prints out copies of the worksheet, an awkward silence falling over the two of them. 

“Forgive me for being curious,” Miss Nico says eventually as the printer gradually coughs out a large stack of papers. “You’re quite a bright young man, and I’ve heard a lot good things about you from all of my colleagues.”

Sanji brightens at the compliment, blushing slightly because he’s not used to them. “Thank you,” he tells her with a bright smile, and Miss Nico returns it with one of her own soft ones. 

He takes a majority of the worksheets in one arm, and holds Miss Nico’s umbrella above her with the other as they walk towards her classroom. He holds the door open for her with a gracious smile, humming happily still because of the compliment. 

His good mood falls into humiliation as they walk into the room to see Luffy on top of one of the desks with chopsticks pushed up his nose and in his mouth. 

“Oh, god, I’m so sorry,” Sanji apologizes immediately, moving to yell at Luffy, but he’s stopped by Miss Nico laughing.

It’s not a sound he’s ever heard before, and it’s soft and refined- just like the woman herself. He’s shocked into silence by his usually reserved teacher openly laughing, blinking at her in surprise.

“You have quite interesting friends, Sanji,” she tells him with a smile that actually reaches her eyes, and at that, Sanji laughs along with her. 

…

“What are you doing?” 

Sanji looks up to see Zoro standing in front of him, and he scowls. “None of your business.”

“Didn’t you have an umbrella?” Zoro asks because he never listens to Sanji, and the asshole even moves to stand next to him. 

“Gave it to Nami.”

Zoro stares at him blankly, being the uncultured marimo he is who doesn’t understand the importance of treating women with respect. “So what? You’re just going to sit here and wait for the rain to stop?”

“Shut up,” Sanji mutters, feeling his face heat up slightly. When he had given his umbrella to Nami, he had kind of forgotten that he needed it too. “My dad will be here soon. I’ll just run over there when he gets here.”

Zoro gives him another judgemental look, and Sanji has to resist the temptation to kick it off of his face. 

“What?” He demands, and Zoro rolls his eyes. 

“You’re an idiot.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you,” Sanji snaps back, and he looks over to see Zoro taking off his jacket. “What are you doing?”

He’s answered by a jacket to the face, and he sputters in outrage. “Wh-what the fuck?” He hisses as he pulls it off of his face.

“Use that,” Zoro mutters, turning away so that Sanji can’t see the expression on his face. 

“Wh-wait!” Sanji starts, but the marimo doesn’t even turn back. He runs out into the rain in just a white t-shirt that immediately gets soaked through with water, and Sanji stares after him is disbelief. _What the fuck_ , he thinks, gaping at Zoro’s retreating figure in shock. _What the actual fuck._

He looks down at the jacket Zoro gave him, his brain malfunctioning as he tries to make sense of what just happened. _Did that fucking idiot really just give me his jacket to use as an umbrella?_

“Thanks, I guess,” he says to the air, pulling the jacket over his head. He can’t help but laugh to himself at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. _What a softie_ , he thinks with a grin. 

…

After that rainy day, they start making a habit of eating at Miss Nico’s classroom. 

Strangely enough (Sanji chalks it up to some form of Luffy magic), she begins to feel less like a teacher and more like a _friend_. She even allows them to refer to her by her first name, and she stops calling them “Mr. Vinsmoke” and “Mr. Monkey” and starts calling them by their first names as well (though she tends to refer to Sanji and Zoro’s surname while they’re in class). 

He learns that Robin is naturally withdrawn and doesn’t open up to people easily, but once she does, she’s just as much of a loyal and supportive friend as the rest of them. He learns that Robin has a dark sense of humor, and she really likes drawing even though she’s not particularly good at it. She finds bad drawings by her students cute, and she remembers almost every student she’s ever had and keeps an eye out for them even after they graduate. 

Robin also has the same kind of look in her eyes, one that Sanji’s beginning to recognize- _“I shouldn’t be alive”_. Sanji thinks Robin recognizes it in him too; he can never quite shake the feeling that she’s always watching him- looking for something he’s not willing to share. 

Nevertheless, Sanji _loves_ Robin. Not only does he feel a kinship with her because of the similar weight on their shoulders, but he finds she’s also a caring and compassionate person- the world just hasn’t been the same way back. 

Sanji isn’t the only one who notices, and Luffy does what he always does whenever he thinks someone needs cheering up- he throws a party.

His excuse for Robin’s party was her birthday- which actually happened to be conveniently timed as her birthday was in early February and they met in late January. How Luffy even figured out when her birthday was, Sanji has _no_ idea, but he’s starting to think he underestimated the means Luffy will go through for his friends. 

Since the party was a surprise, they set it up at school, and Nami and Usopp drew out intricate plans. During lunchtime, Usopp would distract Robin while everyone else decorated the classroom, and Sanji, naturally, was in charge of food. 

Unfortunately, the amount of food he could bring was limited since he had to bring it to school, so he couldn’t make a barbecue like last time; therefore, Sanji just decided to make a cake and pack as many sandwiches as he could fit into his bag as possible (plus, sandwiches were Robin’s favorite food). 

Naturally, Sanji spends the entire night before in the kitchen at the Baratie (much to Zeff’s chagrin) in order to make the most perfect cake for Robin's birthday. He settles on a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and spends a painstakingly long amount of time icing the cake so that it looks flawless.

He’s not the only one who spends a lot of time preparing, as Nami and Chopper gather fun history themed decorations to put throughout Robin’s classroom. They hastily do their best to put everything up because they can already hear Usopp’s loud voice from through the door (stalling Robin without making her think something was up had to be the hardest job any of them had). 

“-and I, the Great Captain Usopp-“

“SURPRISE!” They all shout as Robin opens the door, her eyes widening comically as she looks around her classroom. 

“Happy Birthday, Robin!” Luffy shouts out, and it’s only now that Sanji realized that he had managed to steal a Spartan style helmet from their excessive stack of decorations.

Robin blinks at all of them, her surprise actually clearly written on her face. “You guys… did all this?”

“Of course!” Luffy grins, and Sanji catches his hand as he attempts to take one of the sandwiches. Luffy turns to pout at him, and Sanji gives him a pointed look.

“Robin first.”

Robin looks genuinely overwhelmed, and Sanji can honestly relate. He remembers the first birthday party he ever had with Zeff; it hadn’t been particularly big or grand, just a special meal just for Sanji, and Zeff had given him his first set of knives as his first ever birthday present. Even so, the idea that such a small space and time had been put aside especially for Sanji had been such a foreign concept at the time, especially considering the fact that Sanji was used to sharing his birthday with his three brothers (and even then, they never celebrated it). 

“I-“ Robin starts, looking around the classroom again. She shuts her mouth and opens it again, totally at a loss for words. 

Luffy lets out his signature _shishishi_ laugh, and sits down on top of one of the desks happily. Nami takes advantage of Robin’s shocked stupor to place a party hat on her head. 

“Come on, Robin!” Chopper says cheerfully. “Let’s eat Sanji’s cake!”

Robin turns to look at Sanji with wide eyes, and Sanji unveils his cake with a flourish. Her eyes get impossibly wider, but then they close into a wide smile. 

“Thank you,” she says softly. 

“Robin should blow out the candles!” Luffy exclaims cheerfully, and Nami reaches over to smack him in the head. 

“Like hell, idiot!”

Luffy pouts. “But I always blow out the candles on my birthday,” he says, and he holds out his hands, revealing a set of striped birthday candles. “Look, I even brought them!”

“You’re kidding me,” Nami mutters. “How are we even supposed to light them? I don’t think anyone here is stupid enough to bring a lighter to school.”

Sanji coughs, thinking guiltily about the lighter in his bag. Apparently, he’s not the only one who thinks about it because Luffy turns to Sanji with a grin.

“Sanji has one!”

Sanji coughs harder, suddenly unable to look anyone in the eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he deflects, and Robin raises an eyebrow at him. 

“It’s okay, Sanji, I won’t tell,” she says, and Sanji hesitates before walking over to where his bag lies. He doesn’t dig around his bag long, knowing exactly where his lighter is, and he can see Nami giving him an unimpressed look as he pulls it out. Zoro snorts, and Sanji sends him a glare, focusing all his humiliation and rage at the stupid marimo head. 

“Zoro, turn off the lights!” Luffy demands, and Zoro obeys, reaching out to flick out the lights in the classroom. 

Turning off the lights doesn’t really do much since the light outside the windows illuminate the inside of the classroom, but the idea is still there as Sanji uses his lighter to set the candles aflame.

“Make a wish!” Luffy whispers, but he’s still considerably loudly considering his obvious efforts to lower his voice. 

Robin gives them all a fond smile as she closes her eyes, waiting a moment before blowing the candles out. They all cheer loudly, and Robin laughs happily. 

Sanji grabs a plastic knife (because there’s no way he’s getting caught bringing a real one to school- the lighter is already pushing it) and cuts the cake into seven pieces. He pulls out the paper plates that Nami brought and puts a piece on each plate, handing the first piece to Robin, then Nami, and then the rest (minus Zoro). 

“For you, lovely Robin-chwan, I made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and-“

He’s cut off by someone poking him insistently in the side, and he turns to growl over at the offender. “What do you _want_ , moss-head?”

Zoro, unfortunately, does not stop poking him, and Sanji can feel his eyebrow twitch in irritation. “Where’s mine?” The mannerless caveman demands, and Sanji clicks his tongue.

“Who said I made you _anything_?” He snaps, and he begins to dig around in his backpack for what he _did_ actually make for Zoro (which he regrets now since the stupid brute is so rude about it). “Stupid, mannerless _brute_ ,” he mutters to himself, shifting everything around until- _aha!_ He finds it. 

He tosses the small box of mochi to Zoro who catches it easily ( _tch, I should throw it harder next time_ ), and to Sanji’s complete and utter surprise, Zoro _smiles_. 

Like closed eyes, teeth on display, happy expression _smiles_. At _Sanji_. 

_What the fuck_ , Sanji thinks as Zoro tosses one of them in his mouth, looking all sorts of pleased with himself. 

And it’s weird because something between him and Zoro has _changed_ , and Sanji has no idea why. Even within their tight knit group of friends, even with his newfound kinship with Nami, even with the amount of time he prefers to dedicate to the girls, he just always seems to be with Zoro. It might be because they’re the same age; it might be because they just naturally piss each other off, but they seem to just gravitate towards each other (usually because they’re fighting, but sometimes it’s… something else). 

Then there was that whole thing with Zoro and his jacket, and... Sanji’s not really sure how he feels about this. He doesn’t dislike it (in fact, having a close friend his age is kind of nice…), but he can’t help but feel like he’s missing out on something. 

Pushing thoughts of a certain green haired swordsman out of his mind, Sanji turns away to smile graciously at Robin as she compliments his cake. 

“It’s exquisite, Sanji, you’ve outdone yourself,” she tells him with a gracious smile. “The sandwiches are wonderful as well.”

“Of course, anything for you, my lady,” he swoons dramatically. He looks over at the sandwiches to see Luffy shoving his face with them, and he sighs, thankful that Robin at least got to try one.

They all fall into their usual shenanigans, goofing off with Robin until the first bell rings. Sanji has honestly never heard the woman laugh that much before, and just the thought of that makes the rest of them happier and more energetic.

They (mostly Nami) also send Vivi pictures since she goes to a different school and can’t participate. They generally only see her once a week (and Sanji sometimes sees her on weekends since they live in the same neighborhood), but they always keep in touch on their shared group chat. 

He’s suddenly grabbed and dragged into a group hug by Luffy and his stretchy limbs that are practically made out of rubber. He doesn't really mind, though, and laughs as he throws his arms around Usopp and Chopper, high on his undeniably good mood. Everyone else seems to feel the same, and even Nami doesn’t yell at Luffy for his actions. 

Sanji’s hit with a sudden wave of thankfulness and _love_ \- love for his crazy group of friends and all their antics. _I love them_ , he thinks to himself, and his cheeks hurt from how much he’s been smiling. _I love them so much_. 

He looks around at the rest of them, met by a sea of bright and smiling faces, and thinks _maybe, just maybe, they love me back_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, everybody! I don’t know what my schedule is going to be like next week, but I’m falling behind in writing chapters so I might be late for the next chapter ;-;
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one, and as always, comments and kudos are welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

“Hey, Nami, did you get question ten on the math homework?” Usopp asks, and Nami turns around to look at him.

“Is that the one due tomorrow? I haven’t started it.”

“Oh, ok,” Usopp sighs, and Chopper moves up to him shyly.

“Can I see? I took geometry last year, so I might be able to help.”

Usopp pushes the paper towards the younger boy, and Chopper reads over the question thoughtfully.

“Why are you doing your homework now?” Zoro asks with his mouth full of food, and Sanji gets an unpleasant view of the half chewed food inside his mouth. He kicks him under the table with a pointed look as Usopp responds, and Zoro takes the opportunity to start chewing louder with his mouth even wider.

“I have to babysit my neighbors again today, so I’m trying to get this all done now so that we can play video games all night.”

“Ooh, that sounds fun! Can I come?” Luffy asks, sitting down on top of the desks. 

“No way,” Nami answers for Usopp. “He’s not getting paid to babysit _you_.”

“Did you know that babysitting used to be called bratting?” Robin asks them, and they all turn to look at her with various degrees of surprise.

“Good thing they changed that,” Nami says with a wrinkled nose. 

“I don’t know,” Sanji mutters. “The name babysitting can be somewhat misleading.”

“It’s funny!” Luffy says with a grin. “Ace used to sit on me and call it babysitting. Sabo always got mad, though.”

Nami sends Sanji a look over Luffy like “ _this is the guy you have a crush on?_ ” and Sanji gives her an embarrassed grin. If he’s honest, how Ace acts with Luffy is one of the reasons he likes him. It’s hard not to when he sees Ace playfully messing around with his youngest brother, but still being frighteningly overprotective when it comes down to it. That’s how a brother should be.

“Portugas D. Ace?” Robin asks, a perplexed expression on her face. 

“Yep!” Luffy responds cheerfully. “He’s my older brother!”

“I remember Ace,” Robin says with a small smile. “He slept in my class almost as much as Zoro did. How is he doing?” 

“He got into University with Sabo!”

“That’s nice to hear,” Robin says. “What are their majors?”

“Ace says he’s undecided, and Sabo said something about a poliwag?”

“A what?” Sanji deadpans, narrowing his eyes at Luffy. Chances are, the idiot screwed up the name.

Thankfully, Robin somehow understands stupid Luffy speak. “Polisci?”

“Yeah, that,” Luffy nods as if that was exactly what he said (which it wasn’t). 

“What’s a polisci?” Zoro asks, his face screwed up in a funnily confused expression. “Some kind of animal?”

“Just shut up,” Sanji says, rolling his eyes at him. “You lower everyone’s IQ every time you open your mouth.”

Zoro opens his mouth to say something back, but he’s cut off by the classroom door opening up. They all turn to look, silence falling over them- except for Luffy who’s still talking to Usopp about something crazy like always- and to Sanji’s surprise, Franky pokes his head through the door.

He kind of looks around for a bit before his gaze falls on Sanji. “Hey!” Franky grins at him, his sunglasses glinting. “Can I borrow you for a sec, Sanji?”

“Uh, sure?” Sanji agrees hesitantly, both curious and nervous. Franky’s got a pretty big grin on his face, so Sanji doesn’t think he’s in trouble. He doesn’t know what Franky would want with him otherwise, though, so he tries to think of possibly anything the man could need from him. 

He catches Zoro giving him what can only be considered as a smug grin. “You in trouble, shit cook?”

“Shut up,” Sanji growls at him, kicking the leg of his chair as he leaves the classroom. 

“Yo, bro!” Franky grins. “So I got the email from your dad, and-“

“Wait, what email?” Sanji cuts him off, his heart dropping to his stomach. _Judge emailed Franky? Fuck, what did he want? My grades are fine, right? I swear I checked them this morning, what could he be upset about?_

Franky’s smile drops slightly, and he looks a little confused. “About the robotics competition?”

_Robotic competition?_

“Uh,” Sanji says nervously. “Can I see the email?” He doesn’t want to say anything that contradicts whatever Judge sent Franky, and he also doesn’t want to do anything that might make the blue haired man suspicious. 

“Sure!” Franky pulls out his phone, pulls up the email, and then hands it over to Sanji. 

“ _Mr. Cutty Flam_ ,” the email starts, and Sanji wants to wince at the use of Franky’s given name; anyone in Franky’s class knows he prefers going by Franky. “ _Recently, my son_ ” (“my son”, _my ass_ , Sanji thinks. He would bet money that Judge’s secretary wrote this) “ _has been expressing interest in the Davy Back Robotics Competition that will be held the weekend before spring break; It has come to my attention that your school does not currently have a robotics team. I am asking you on his behalf if you would be willing to start one. I can pay for his entrance fee and any other financials that may occur. Sincerely, Vinsmoke Judge._ ”

Well, Sanji can say for sure that he had never heard of this competition, and he has absolutely no interest in participating in said robotics competition; however, if Judge wants him to, he obviously has no other choice. 

“Oh yeah,” Sanji says, pretending as if he suddenly remembered what the email was talking about. “ _That_ robotics competition.”

Franky lights back up again. “Yeah, so I’m _super_ okay with starting a robotics team, so if you’re still interested, we can look around for people to join. I know that this robotics competition has certain games and rules that you need to build the robot for, but I’m sure you’ve already looked into that as well as what materials you need and all that _super_ stuff.”

_Fuck_ , Sanji curses in his head. Looks like he’s pulling an all nighter for all that stuff tonight. As for people to join the team… he thinks of his friends, just on the other side of the door behind him, but immediately wants to kick himself. This is his problem, he can’t get them involved. 

“Just shoot me an email with your designs and ideas,” Franky tells him, giving him two thumbs up. “I’ll start filling out all the paperwork and stuff.”

“Okay,” Sanji agrees numbly. At that, Franky leaves him alone in the hallway in front of Robin’s classroom, and Sanji stares off into space for a little bit. He doesn’t want to do this. He really doesn’t want to do this, and he knows from experience that building and programming robots is ridiculously frustrating. It’s part of the reason he absolutely does not ever want to do anything involved with working at Germa Tech. 

Of course, what he _wants_ has never mattered, so he’s stuck doing this. What makes it even worse is that the only friend he has in his engineering class is Usopp (who he’ll never force into doing this with him), so he’ll probably just end up doing all this himself. _Great_. 

_And if I don’t win..._ just the idea of what Judge would do to him makes Sanji shudder. Immediately shaking the thought from his head, he turns back into the classroom, opening the door to find Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper crowding around him. 

“Who was that?” Luffy asks excitedly. “He looked interesting!”

“What’s wrong?” Chopper asks, looking at him worriedly. “You’re not in trouble, right?”

“What did he want?” Usopp asks, more calmly than the other two, and Sanji turns to answer him. 

“Nothing important,” Sanji lies, faking a cheerful smile. He reaches over to ruffle Chopper’s hair affectionately. “And I’m not in trouble, don’t worry.”

_Not in trouble yet, at least._

Everyone seems to believe him, turning back to whatever they were doing before. Sanji moves to sit back next to Zoro, putting away his half eaten lunch- he’s completely lost his appetite. 

_Better start on my research_ , he thinks to himself with a sigh, pulling out his phone and typing in Davy Back Robotics Competition. 

It seems quieter than normal, so he looks around his group of friends. Usopp is happily regaling Chopper with his tall tales, Robin and Nami and chatting amiably (mellorine!), but to his surprise, he finds both Zoro and Luffy looking at him with strange expressions. 

Zoro scowls and looks away once Sanji makes eye contact with him, but Luffy doesn’t, only continuing to study Sanji with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Shrugging it off as another one of Luffy’s eccentricities (and ignoring his internal panic at Luffy seeing through him- which he is surprisingly adept at for someone so stupid when it comes to everything else), he turns back to his research and forces himself to continue to do so until the bell rings. 

…

The competition is divided into two rounds with two separate games: The first game is called the donut race which is- pretty much as the name suggests - a race around a track shaped like a donut. The biggest issue with this game is that he’ll have to build the robot that will race it _right there_ using the materials they give him instead of ahead of time like he will with the other two.

The results of the first game determines the seeding in the second round which is played in a bunch of separate 1v1 elimination style games. That game is called the groggy ring, and the objective is to take as many balls as you can from around the playing field and put them into your own ring until time runs out. The team that gathered the most balls wills. For this game, each team can have up to three separate robots. 

Not only does he have to build the robots for the second game, he also has to plan out possible designs for the first game so that he’s prepared for whatever materials they might give him. _And_ In addition to building the robots, he has to program the robots so that he can control them with a remote. _Great_.

He reads through all the games and rules in one night, and spends the rest of time until the sun rises starting on the required engineering journal for the competition. 

He doesn’t know what materials will be given for the donut race, but he looks up videos and other examples online to get a decent idea of it. Then, he starts brainstorming multiple designs and ideas for possible mini robot racers, but he can’t do much for that one since it’s more of a problem for when he’s at the competition. 

For the robots on the groggy ring, he designs multiple contraptions to put onto his robot in order to pick up the balls on the floor. It’s ironic how simple the games are, but how complicated it is to design something that can do such a basic task. 

The biggest issue he runs into is that all the people Franky recruits for the team obviously don’t understand that Sanji needs to win. He doesn’t want to start imagining what Judge would do to him if he lost, but with the way his teammates are turning out, he might have to start preparing for the worst. Not only are they all unmotivated and completely content to let him do all the work, but they’re all stupid as fuck. 

Sanji’s practically running on his fifth day of no sleep, absurd amounts of caffeine being the only thing that keeps him awake, and reaching the maximum of how much stress he can handle. He’s seen Franky giving him a few worried looks, but he can’t bring himself to care because he _has_ to win this competition. 

He’s sitting alone in Franky’s classroom, all of his “teammates” conveniently having other things they suddenly needed to do and Franky having left to go to a meeting or something. He pushes the joystick on the remote forwards only to have the robot move _backwards_. 

He doesn’t know if it’s all the stress, all the sleepless nights, or just the frustration of having worked on this for so long for it _not to work_ , but Sanji reaches his limit.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he hisses with an inhuman sounding growl of frustration, and he throws the remote down onto the floor, hard enough to break it. Grabbing fistfuls of his hair, he collapses into a ball, as if he could block out the rest of the world by curling in on himself, and just lets it all out; The pain, the frustration, the stress, it all reaches a boiling point where he can’t hold it back anymore, and he just- cries. 

“Fuck,” he whispers again, sounding less angry and more… broken. _You’ll never be as smart as your brothers_ , a voice that sounds suspiciously like Judge whispers in his mind. _You stupid, useless failure_.

Sanji’s a good student. He works his ass off to get good grades, he takes all honors and AP classes, but no matter what he does, it’s never enough- _He’s_ never enough. 

_Maybe that’s what the problem has been all along_ , Sanji muses to himself. _It’s just me_. If he was stronger, his brothers wouldn’t beat him. If he was better, Judge wouldn’t beat him. If he was more reliable, he wouldn’t have to listen to Reiju muffle her sobs at night. 

_Worthless, weak, useless failure_ , a voice echoes through Sanji’s mind, and Sanji doesn’t try to stop it.

His brain comes to a screeching halt as he hears a knock on the door, and he immediately attempts to straighten himself out, hastily wiping the tears from his eyes. To his surprise, it’s Luffy who pops his head through the door, and his bright smile wavers slightly as Sanji sniffs and tries to blink the tears out of his eyes. 

The rest of his friends trail in behind him, all of their loud side conversations falling into silence as they all notice Sanji’s undoubtedly red eyes and tear stained face. 

It’s Luffy who breaks the silence, as it always is, recovering quickly and hopping over to where Sanji had been sitting before. “What are you doing?” He asks in his characteristically too loud voice, peering over at the half built robot behind Sanji. 

There’s a slight pause as Luffy seems to realize what he’s looking at, and Sanji watches as his eyes practically turn into stars. “Is that a robot?!”

“A robot?” Chopper asks excitedly, running over to Luffy. As if a spell had just been broken, everyone else walks over as Luffy and Chopper practically bounce off the walls as they crowd around Sanji’s half built robot. 

Usopp runs over as well, practically barreling Sanji over in his haste. “A robot? Did you build it? Can it move? How does it work?” He starts interrogating Sanji, grabbing onto his arm and shaking it excitedly. 

Despite feeling weak and woozy from a little earlier, Sanji smiles. Just a couple seconds around his friends, and he honestly feels worlds better. 

“Yeah, I’ve been working on it,” Sanji tells him. “I’m trying to get it to respond to commands from this remote,” he says, picking up the said remote from where it fell on the floor. “But it’s not working.”

“Lemme see,” Usopp says, going over to look at the coding on Sanji’s laptop. A couple seconds pass as Usopp reads through the code silently, and then he reaches out and edits it slightly. Then, he downloads the code onto the robot while Sanji watches over him silently. 

Usopp moves the joystick forwards, and then the robot _moves forwards_. Like that. Just two seconds, and Usopp fixes what Sanji’s been tearing himself apart over for the last twenty minutes. 

“COOL!” Both Luffy and Chopper say in sync, and Usopp gives them a satisfied grin. 

“Of course, I, the Great Usopp, have made robots that leveled worlds. People used to fall over themselves to ask me for help, and I-“

“That’s great,” Sanji breathes out, and like that, all the exhaustion from the past couple days suddenly washes over him. “That’s really great, Usopp, honestly, thanks so much.”

At that, Nami frowns at him, looking both confused and concerned. “Sanji… did you do all this by yourself?”

“What? Uh, yeah?” Sanji answers, confused as to why Nami looks so conflicted over his answer. 

“Is this why you haven’t been eating lunch with us recently?” She asks, and Sanji can’t help but feel a little guilty for that. He hates that he had to abandon his friends because of Judge, but there’s the possibility that if he loses this, Judge might make him go to Germa Technical High School instead. A couple weeks without his friends is better than never seeing them again. 

“Yeah,” Sanji admits, and Nami gets this really sad look on her face that Sanji immediately kicks himself for causing. 

“Sanji’s a really nice person,” Luffy says, and Sanji turns to meet his eyes. He stares right at Sanji, and his gaze is serious and heavy. “He always feeds people who are hungry and helps people who need it.”

There’s a long pause as Luffy just _stares_ at Sanji, and every single ounce of Sanji's being wants to rise up to meet his gaze. That’s just how Luffy is; he has the presence of a king, his existence like a bright sun that everyone revolves around. Sanji wants to be one of the people by his side, wants to be one of the planets allowed to orbit around him. That feeling pushes him to be _stronger_ , to be _better_ , to be worth the weight of that gaze.

“Sanji doesn’t have to be nice to us,” Luffy says, and his eyes feel like they’re boring holes into Sanji’s soul. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

_Rely on us_ , he seems to say. _You don’t have to keep us at arm’s length._

And Sanji’s so _tired_ \- He’s tired of trying to do all this himself, he’s tired of pretending he’s okay when all he wants to do is fall apart. “Yeah,” he breathes out in agreement, and it feels like a huge weight has just been lifted off of his shoulders. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Good,” Luffy says with a determined nod and a grin. 

“Can you just- finish all that?” He asks, turning to Usopp and waving his arms at the robot tiredly. 

“Of course,” Usopp grins, but it falters when he seems to take in the dark circles under Sanji’s eyes. “Are you… okay?”

“Yeah,” Sanji says. “I am now.”

Someone tugs at his arm, and he turns to look at Zoro who’s looking at him with an unreadable expression.

“What?” Sanji asks, his voice a little sharp. He’s too tired to deal with Zoro’s shit right now.

Zoro doesn’t say anything, only pushing him down onto a chair. If Sanji had more energy, he would protest against how Zoro is manhandling him, but as he is right now, he just falls down into the chair obediently. 

Zoro seems to realize that, and his expression is grim, almost pained as he gently lies Sanji’s head down onto his bag. He sits up on the desk in front of him, blocking his view of everyone else. 

“Sleep,” he tells him softly, and Sanji sighs out, feeling his whole entire body relax slowly. 

“Okay,” he mutters, looking up at Zoro through his bangs. 

He doesn’t know how to describe the other boy's expression, but something about the way Zoro looks at him in that moment feels as if Zoro is holding his breath. Zoro seems to hesitate before reaching out and smoothing down Sanji’s hair, and Sanji’s eyelids get heavier and heavier until he gives in and lets them close. He falls asleep to a gentle hand in his hair, the sound of Usopp typing on his laptop, and Nami hushing Luffy as he tries his best to be quiet. 

...

Getting his friends to join the school’s official robotics team is surprisingly simple. He worries that since they’re not in engineering or computer science, it won’t be allowed, but Franky is completely okay with it.

“Anyone who’s interested can join,” Franky tells him after he asks with a large grin.

He relays that message to his friends, and Luffy is the first to react, jumping up into the air excitedly.

“ _Yosh_!” Luffy announces. “Guys! We’re joining the robotics team!”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Sanji tells them nervously, but Nami gives him a reassuring smile. 

“Of course we want to. It won’t be right if it's not all of us, right?”

“That’s right!” Luffy agrees excitedly before Sanji has the chance to say anything. “Zoro’s going to do it too, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro acquiesces, rolling his eyes. 

“You’re just going to sleep through everything,” Sanji grumbles at him, but secretly he’s pleased. At least this way he can have fun with his friends, even if he’d rather not do this whole robotics thing in the first place. 

“I’m captain!” Luffy declares loudly, and Usopp immediately protests.

“Hey, I should be captain! I’ll have you know that I-“

“Shouldn’t Sanji be captain?” Chopper asks quietly, cutting Usopp off.

“Nah,” Sanji says, waving the younger boy off. “Luffy can be captain if he wants. Usopp and I are in charge of building the robot, Chopper do you think you can help also?” Chopper brightens up and nods excitedly. His enthusiasm is infectious, so Sanji grins at the younger boy. “Nami’s in charge of materials and finance?” Nami nods at him in affirmation, so Sanji turns to Zoro. “You can… do something. I’ll send you guys all the details about the game tonight.”

As Nami says, it's not right if it’s not all of them, so Robin becomes another supervising teacher for the team which is especially helpful because she is exponentially better than Franky when it comes to getting permission from the school and organizing the event. 

Usopp turns out to be extremely helpful with programming and building the robot, and everything becomes infinitely easier when he has Usopp to help him and bounce ideas off of. Even Chopper contributes a lot of good ideas to the robot design, especially when he applies his extensive knowledge of the human anatomy to it. Nami is surprisingly good at driving their practice robots for the donut race, so they all unanimously decide that she’ll drive it in the competition. After a lot of arguments (Zoro and Sanji) and a crashed robot (Luffy), they decide that Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper will pilot the robots for the groggy ring. 

“Hey, Usopp,” Sanji starts, and Usopp looks up from behind the other side of the robot. “Can you take a look at this? It’s not going in.”

“Sure!” Usopp says with a grin, and he moves over to take a look.

Sanji is distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket, and he pulls it out curiously. All of his friends are in the same room: Zoro and Chopper are practicing piloting the two finished robots, Nami is running laps around the donut ring with different small robots Usopp and Sanji built timed for practice, Luffy watches over all of them excitedly, and Robin is reading a book quietly in the corner. 

**Reiju**   
_The deal didn’t go through, so dads in a bad mood  
Be careful_

_Fuck_ , Sanji thinks, his heart practically jumping into his throat. 

“What’s wrong?” Usopp asks, looking up at him. “Did something happen?”

“Uh, no,” Sanji lies, putting his phone back in his pocket. He throws a quick glance around the room to check and see if anyone’s paying attention. He could probably sneak out to smoke a cigarette...

“Hey, that looks pretty _super_!” Franky’s voice suddenly sounds through the room, and Sanji almost jumps out of his skin. He turns to see his teacher looking over his shoulder at the third and final robot for the groggy ring that they’re working on. 

“Of course,” Usopp grins. “I, the Great Usopp, have built _millions_ of robots even better than this one! When I was six, I made a robot that could take over the world!”

Franky grins, and Sanji can’t tell if he’s just humoring Usopp or if he actually believes him. “That’s _super_!” 

He claps a hand down on Sanji’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you asked to do this, Sanji.”

Sanji laughs nervously, noticing the confused expression on Usopp’s face. “Yeah, me too,” he lies, and Usopp frowns. 

He waits a little bit before Franky walks away to go check out their completed robots before turning to Sanji. “I thought you said Franky asked you to do this?”

“Did I?” Sanji deflects. “You must not be remembering correctly.”

“Sanji,” Usopp says, suddenly and sharply. “I’m the liar, not you.”

“I’m sorry,” a voice starts from behind him, and Sanji turns to see Franky staring at him with a confused look on his face.“Did you- did you actually not want to do this?”

There was a time, when Sanji was younger, that Judge had signed him up for a special math test that Sanji wasn’t ready for. He had accidentally confided in his teacher at the time that he didn’t know the required material, but Judge had signed him up for it anyway. His teacher had tried to pull Judge aside and explain that to him for Sanji, but it all only ended in the teacher getting fired for “trying to tell Judge how to raise _his_ kid” and Sanji spending a month struggling to breathe because of his bruised ribs. “I wanted to do this,” he lies immediately, but Usopp catches on. 

“That’s a lie,” Usopp cuts in. “You always say you hate doing stuff like this. You don’t even want to take engineering, right? You want to be a cook, you don’t need it.”

“You want to be a cook?” Franky asks with a surprised look on his face, and Sanji sends Usopp a glare, telling the other boy to _drop it_.

“Yeah,” Sanji admits, knowing this is one front he can’t lie on. “But I’m interested in Engineering, so I wanted to take the class.”

Franky gives him a long look, and Sanji squirms under his gaze. It feels wrong, to lie to Franky like this. He’s a fun guy and a great teacher, and he deserves a better student than someone like Sanji who’s just taking the class because they have to. 

“You shouldn’t take this class if you don’t want to,” Franky tells him quietly, and Sanji’s hit with a fresh wave of guilt for causing the crestfallen expression on Franky’s face.

“I don’t have a choice,” he says, shocking himself with his own admission, and Franky blinks up at him in surprise. 

“Of course you have a choice in the classes you take,” Franky tells him. “It’s _your_ life.”

Sanji gives him a thin lipped smile. “It’s a lot more complicated than that.”

The classroom has gone suspiciously quiet, and Sanji looks up to see all his friends watching the exchange. As soon as he meets their eyes, they all turn back to what they were doing, the conversations picking back up where they left off.

Franky decides not to push, instead patting Sanji supportively on the shoulder. “If you ever need me to lend an ear, I’d be glad to,” Franky tells him. “I like you, Sanji, you’re a good kid and a good student, and even if you don’t like my class, I’m glad you’re in it.”

“Thanks,” Sanji tells him. “I’ll keep that in mind, then.”

Franky grins and flashes him a thumbs up which makes Sanji smile. He turns around to look at the robot with a newfound determination. He can practically feel all the worried looks his friends are sending him while his back is turned, and he knows that the stress of this competition is definitely affecting him.

_I don’t want to keep making them worry about me_ , he thinks, resolving himself to calm down and try harder. His friends have been helping him so much, and he _knows_ he can’t lose- not when everyone else is working so hard for his sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next week (hopefully, I’m still running behind schedule): the dreaded Davy back robotics competition! Happy New Year everyone!
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned on this being one chapter, but it was so long that I ended up having to split it in two. Also if anyone’s curious, I went to a couple robotics competitions in my freshman year in high school so this is very loosely based on that.

Sanji isn’t exactly sure what he’s expecting from the robotics competition- in fact he hadn’t given himself much time to really think about it.

It’s surprisingly crowded, with multiple teams all spread out across the gym in which it takes place, each one with their own table. There’s a small crowd of people settled onto the bleachers to watch, and Sanji doesn’t even bother scanning it for anyone he knows, already knowing all the people who would actually bother coming to support him are the ones with him.

There’s a medium sized ring in the center of the gym which Sanji immediately recognizes as the donut track for the donut race. 

“Um, excuse me,” a voice says, and everyone turns away from where they had been admiring everything around them before. “Can you all sign these waivers? I’ll need your journal as well.”

They all fill out their individual paperwork, and Sanji gives the person at the table the journal they wrote out for the competition. There is an award for best journal (not that anyone cared about it), so the judges will go through the journals while the competition is running.

“Great!” The person says after they’ve handed everything in. “Just tell me your team name, and you’ll be good to go!”

“Team name?” Sanji echoes, looking back at his friends uncertainly. 

Luffy perks up excitedly, and Sanji turns to Nami and Robin instead, not trusting Luffy to come up with something not totally ridiculous. “What do you think?”

“Lion gorilla elephant!” Luffy shouts, and Sanji ignores him, waiting patiently for an answer from the two women. 

Robin smiles at Luffy fondly. “How about the Straw Hats after our dear captain?”

Sanji blinks, a little disappointed that she didn’t come up with something more cool sounding, but he’s never one to go against the wishes of the lady. “Sounds perfect,” he tells her, and turns to relay it to the person at the desk.

Luckily, Luffy is appeased, and hums happily all the way to their assigned table where they set up all their stuff. They place out their three robots, and Chopper and Zoro go to make sure they fit the size requirements while Usopp and Sanji take them on test runs to ensure that they’re still functioning okay. 

“Lookin’ _super_!” Franky tells them as they’re all settled in. “The first round starts in 30 minutes. Good luck!”

Both he and Robin leave them since teachers aren’t allowed to coach during the competition, and they give them a thumbs up when they all spot them later in the stands. 

“Ready?” Sanji asks Usopp.

“Of course!” Usopp says with a confident grin, and Sanji looks down to see his legs obviously shaking. “I’ve won many robotics competitions before, this will be a piece of cake for me, the great Usopp.”

Sanji laughs at his obvious lie and slings an arm over his shoulder. “Great! Then, let’s go!”

“W-wait,” Usopp stutters out, his false bravado crumbling. “Now?”

“Yep,” Sanji says cheerfully, popping the p. “Why not?”

“Wha- don’t you think we need to- you know,” Usopp blubbers, gesturing randomly, and Sanji decides to take pity on him. 

“It’s okay if you’re nervous,” he tells him, clapping him in the shoulder supportively. “I’m nervous, too.”

Usopp bites his trembling lip, nodding at Sanji. “Yeah, okay, I got this,” he says, taking a deep breath. 

“We don’t have to go now,” Sanji reassures him. “I was just joking before.” 

Usopp makes a choked sound. “W-well obviously I could tell that,” he lies. “You can’t deceive me!”

“Right,” Sanji smiles fondly. “Then we'll go when you’re ready?”

Usopp nods. “Okay I got this, just give me one second…”

…

“We don’t got this,” Usopp hisses as they scramble to put together the small robot. “Frick, we don’t have-“

“Usopp,” Sanji says, trying to make his voice sound calm and even despite his mirroring panic. “It’s okay, calm down.”

“ _How can I just calm down_?” Usopp asks, his voice bordering on hysterics. 

“ _I don’t know_ ,” Sanji hisses out, stress and frustration making his voice sharp, and Usopp visibly flinches. “Just figure it out! You’re the only one I can count on right now!”

Usopp stares up at him with wide eyes, and for a moment, Sanji is absolutely terrified that his friend is just going to give up and leave; however, what he said seems to do the trick because Usopp takes in a deep breath and reaches out towards their half built robot with trembling hands. 

“Okay so the problem is that we don’t have the exact pieces in the design so if we just…” he moves back a bit, surveying the materials that they were gifted during the competition. “Do this….” he continues on, reaching out towards a piece, and he places it on their drawn out design. 

Sanji frowns, confused as to what Usopp’s doing. Usopp continues to mutter to himself, and Sanji catches bits and pieces of what he’s saying.

_Oh shit_ , he thinks once he realizes what Usopp’s trying to do. _That might actually work._

“So if I put this here-“

“Wait,” Sanji says, shifting the pieces around slightly. “Wouldn’t this work better?”

Usopp squints at what he did for a moment, and then looks up at Sanji excitedly. “Yeah!”

It takes them a bit to figure everything else out, but eventually they end up with an adapted version of their premade design. They have enough time before they run out to test it a couple times and ensure that it works as well as hooks up with their program, and just like that, it’s over.

The alarm blares as the supervisors ask all the competitors to step away from their robots and put their hands up. They take everyone’s small robots and look over them quickly for any other materials that weren’t allotted, and then they place them on the track and ask everyone to prepare for the race.

“Good luck,” Usopp tells Nami, giving her a thumbs up and she steps forwards with a nervous smile.

“I know you can do it, Nami-swan~” Sanji says with a sing-song voice, and she looks back at the two of them and mouths “ _thanks_ ”.

They all hold their breath as Nami walks up to the track, and Sanji watches as Nami takes a deep breath to ease her nerves. Determination settles over her features as she takes the remote and stares at the track, spotting the robot that Usopp and Sanji built.

“On your marks,” the announcer starts, and both Sanji and Usopp tense. “Get set… go!”

It becomes immediately clear what the level of each team is once the race starts based on how their robot’s move. There are a couple that shoot forwards (Usopp and Sanji’s included), there are some that move forwards much more slowly, and a large number of them just don’t move forwards at all. 

“Well, shit,” Sanji says with a grin on his face as their robot moves to surpass all of them. “Who would’ve thought?” 

Usopp let’s put an excited whoop which causes a couple of people to look over at him judgmentally. Usopp blushes slightly, shrinking in on himself at the unwanted attention. 

Sanji pays it no mind, completely focused on the race. There’s another robot coming pretty close to theirs, and Sanji chews on his lip nervously.

“Come on,” he murmurs under his breath, bouncing on his toes slightly. “You got this.”

He looks up at Nami to see her completely focused, her tongue even sticking out of the corner of her mouth unconsciously. His eyes narrow when he sees a boy with a long red nose approach her. _What is he doing?_ He thinks to himself as he takes in the shifty expression on his face. 

His question is answered when the boy suddenly stumbles forwards, knocking into Nami and jolting her out of focus. Their robot swerves slightly and the one behind them passes it, and he sees Nami’s eyes widen with horror as she desperately tries to get back on track. 

It’s too late, and the race ends like that: the straw hats in second while the other team takes first. 

Sanji feels his mouth dropping in outrage, his temper getting the better of him in an instant. “They cheated!” He shouts, turning over to the nearest ref. “He bumped into her!”

The ref looks at him unimpressively, clearly believing that Sanji is just complaining for the sake of it. “Sorry, kid,” he drawls. “Didn’t see it.”

Sanji growls, overcome with a feeling of helplessness. His stomach drops once he sees Nami, her eyes downturned and guilty as she comes over to him.

“I’m sorry,” Nami tells him, her voice tight. 

Sanji’s blinks at her, confused. “What for?”

“I didn’t get first,” Nami says, her voice heavy with shame, and Sanji wants to kick himself. How could he make a woman apologize for something that she shouldn’t?

“You don’t have to apologize for that,” Sanji says, trying to convey to her that this isn’t just him being a gentleman, she really _shouldn’t_ be apologizing for this. “For this race, there’s no difference between getting first and second. We both get a bye in the first round of the groggy ring matches, and we don’t have to face Foxy’s team until the finals.”

Nami blinks at him, and a smile eventually spreads across her features. “That’s true. Thanks, Sanji.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Sanji sniffs, somewhat offended that Nami thought he would get mad over her not placing first. 

He watches as Nami moves back to their table and Luffy runs up to her excitedly, probably yelling something about how cool the race was. He smiles as the weight that had seemed to lie heavy on Nami’s shoulders was immediately lifted as she yells at Luffy (probably telling him to be quiet) and punches him in the head. 

“Sanji?” A voice sounds from behind him, and Sanji turns to see a girl with freckles and brown hair staring at him in surprise. It takes a bit for him to finally recognize her, but when he does, he smiles at her brightly.

“Cosette!” He greets her cheerfully. “Who would’ve thought that we would meet again?”

She giggles as Sanji bows at her with a flourish. “This must be fate,” he declares, and she giggles again, the sound like music to his ears.

“Are you competing in this competition?” She asks him shyly.

“Yep,” he answers her cheerfully, and it’s only then that he notices the plastic container she’s holding. “Are you?”

“Oh, no,” she giggles again. “My friend is, and I brought cupcakes for good luck.”

“Did you make them?” Sanji asks excitedly. Cosette was one of the few people he’s ever met that are his age and share his passion for cooking. 

“Yes,” she admits, before asking shyly “would you like to try one?”

“Of course!” Sanji says enthusiastically.

She sets down the container she’s carrying and opens it up before handing him one of the cupcakes inside. Sanji takes a moment to admire the neatness of the swirled frosting and sprinkled chocolate chips on top before giving it a taste.

“Oh!” He exclaims, looking down at the cupcake in awe after the first bite. “Chocolate cheesecake?”

“Yes!” Cosette nods excitedly. “I usually don’t do a lot of baking, so I was worried it wouldn’t turn out well.”

“It’s great!” Sanji tells her truthfully, and he takes a bite of the cupcake without the cream cheese frosting. He tastes it thoughtfully because he could’ve sworn he tasted… “coffee?” He guesses, and Cosette gasps.

“You could tell?” 

He nods, and her eyes get impossibly brighter. “I heard that it enhances the chocolate flavor.”

“Definitely,” Sanji agrees, taking another bite. “Honestly, these are amazing. You _have_ to give me the recipe.” 

“Of course!” Cosette agrees, and pulls out her phone. “If you just-“

“Oi, cook,” a very familiar voice cuts through, and Sanji turns around to glare at its owner.

“ _What_?” He growls, annoyed at being interrupted by Zoro of all people. 

“Stop flirting around and focus,” Zoro snaps at him. “I thought you wanted to win this thing.” 

“Shut up,” Sanji grumbles, but he turns around to Cosette anyway with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I have to go. Shall we continue this another time?”

“Of course,” Cosette replies, a shy smile gracing her face. “It was really nice seeing you again!”

“Likewise,” Sanji says with a grin. “Talk to you later?”

Cosette nods. “Good luck, Sanji!”

Sanji waves goodbye to her as she walks over to who he assumes is her friend before turning back around to Zoro with a sigh. “Come on, marimo,” he tells him. “Let’s go win this thing.”

Zoro grunts in response, and Sanji turns around to see him looking at him with a strange look. 

“What?” He demands, and Zoro scowls.

“Nothing,” he snaps back, and to Sanji’s confusion, he reaches out towards him before hesitating and taking his hand back. “You have crap on your nose,” Zoro huffs out, shoving his hand into his pocket. 

“Fuck,” Sanji murmurs, reaching you to his nose to discover that he did, indeed, have icing on the tip of his nose from the cupcake earlier. He rubs it off with more enthusiasm than probably necessary, very embarrassed.

Zoro doesn’t make any jabs over his appearance, to Sanji’s complete surprise, and instead turns and walks back over to where the rest of their friends are waiting. 

...

Sanji goes to watch their first opponent’s match during their bye, but he just ends up extremely unimpressed with both teams. They both had pretty basic robots, all three on each time being the exact same, and all they could do is push the balls around. 

_That one is going to be easy, then_ , he thinks to himself, moving away from the match to look at the others. 

There’s one team that managed to make some kind of vacuum that sucks up the balls, but it seems like they had spent too much time on that robot because they only have one. The one that catches his attention the most is a team that created a robot that unfolds so that it creates a wall in the middle of the playing field, effectively cutting off the other team from getting back to place their balls in the ring. 

He looks at the group name, laughing to himself silently when he sees it: _the long-long group. What kind of name is that?_ He thinks to himself, suddenly appreciative of Robin’s idea to name them the straw hats. 

He looks on the draw, blinking when he realizes they’re on the same half of the draw as he is. _They might be our semi-final round_ , he thinks to himself. _Looks like that is going to come in handy…_

“Oh!” Comes a voice, effectively cutting him off from his thoughts. He looks over to see a pretty girl with dark blue hair and an unusually pointy nose.“You’re part of the straw hats, right?”

Yes, mi’lady,” Sanji says, giving her a gentlemanly smile. “And you are?”

“I’m Porche,” she says. “I’m on the Foxy team.”

_The cheaters_ , Sanji thinks, and he immediately banishes any suspicions of the girl in front of him. He would never accuse a lady of cheating!

“Nice to meet you,” he says politely. 

Porche leans forwards, placing her chin in the palm of her hand, and she gives him a slow smile. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she starts. “That boy on your team with the pink hat, what’s his name?”

Sanji blinks, a little confused. “You mean Chopper?”

“Chopper, huh,” Porche says with something akin to a smug smile. “He’s cute.”

Sanji feels his eyebrows shoot up as he realizes the girl’s intentions, and he narrows his eyes, resolving immediately to keep her as far away from Chopper as possible. He may hold the female gender in the highest regard and always give them the benefit of the doubt, but he trusts his instincts. In this case, his instincts tell him that this girl is not good for Chopper. 

“If you’ll excuse me,” he says to the girl as he turns around, unable to keep the sharpness out of his voice. He goes back to their table, a smirk growing on his face once he realizes the best way to keep Chopper safe.

“Hey marimo,” he greets, sitting next to Zoro with an air of innocence. 

Zoro’s eyes narrow immediately, suspicion clearly written on his face. “What do you want, shit cook?”

“I just thought you might want to know,” Sanji says lightly. “That girl with the blue hair over there? She’s interested in Chopper.”

“What?” Zoro growls, his expression darkening as he looks over at Porche. Her eyes widen as she notices the look Zoro’s giving her, and Sanji can tell the exact moment she breaks under his glare. 

_A job well done_ , Sanji congratulates himself as she slinks away. 

…

As Sanji expected, they won their first match easily, and moved on to their second which happened to be the long long team (How the announcer says that with a straight face, Sanji has no idea). 

“We have to be careful,” Sanji tells Chopper and Zoro as he explains the strategy they use. “It’ll be a lot more difficult to gather balls with that in the way.”

“Is that even legal?” Zoro asks, squinting at the extendable robot wall that they built. 

“Of course it is,” Sanji tells him, his mouth spreading out into a scheming grin. “That’s why Usopp and I built a certain something to counter it.”

At that, Usopp perks up. “You can’t mean… I built that as a joke!”

“Well, it's going to come in handy,” Sanji laughs. 

“Both of you stop trying to be mysterious and show us,” Nami says crossly, glaring at both of them. 

“Right, okay,” Sanji grins, grabbing the robot he operates. “Watch this.”

Sanji’s robot is usually used for just pushing the balls around with a small plow while Zoro’s gathers them up into a small tub that dumps them into the ring, but of course Sanji and Usopp could never settle for a robot as lame as that. He presses a button, and everyone watches in surprise as the small plow opens inwards so that the ball goes inside the robot. After a bit of whirring, Sanji moves the robot so that it positions itself in front of Zoro. 

“What-“ Zoro starts, but he’s cut off by the ball shooting out of the robot and smacking him in the face. 

There’s an astounded silence until…. “COOL!” Luffy shouts, running to go pick up the ball. “Do it again!”

“That’s been in there this entire time?” Nami asks, sounding impressed. 

“Yep,” Sanji says proudly. “We built it just in case something like this happens. Apparently it's a legitimate strategy that people have used before.”

“Oi,” Zoro growls, grabbing onto the front of his shirt. Sanji opens his eyes wide in an expression of innocence, putting up his hands in mock surrender.

“What?” Sanji asks as innocently as possible, and he can see Zoro’s eye twitch. Before Zoro can retaliate with his typical brand of caveman violence, Nami smacks him in the back of the head.

“No fighting, you two.”

Zoro scowls, but releases Sanji’s collar. _Take that, stupid moss-head_ , Sanji says through a smug smirk, and Zoro glowers at him. _Fuck you, shit cook_ , he can practically hear him say. 

“So the plan is to get that robot on the other side of the wall and shoot over it?” Chopper asks, looking unsure. 

“Yep,” Sanji chirps, but feels his smile fall when Chopper’s expression doesn’t brighten. “What’s wrong?”

Chopper’s eyebrows furrow. “Will we be able get enough balls that way?”

Sanji smiles at the younger boy’s worry, and he reaches out and pats him on the shoulder supportively. “That’s where you two come in. I need you to stop them from gathering more balls than I do.”

Chopper nods, looking determined, and Sanji grins. “I know you can do it.”

“T-that doesn’t make me happy at all, you bastard,” Chopper stutters out, looking pleased at the compliment, and Sanji laughs. 

“Come on,” Zoro says, patting Chopper on the shoulder. “Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your information, the robot that extends out into a wall strategy to block people is a legitimate strategy (just in case anyone was curious). Also the long long pirates are from the one piece film gold movie, and I figured considering how long their ship was, if they were in the robotics competition they would make a long robot (and thus the wall idea was born).
> 
> Next chapter is the other half of the competition! As always, it’ll be out next week :D
> 
> Thanks for reading and please leave comments and kudos~


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one is a bit later than usual, it’s a lot longer than the others, and I also started on another fic that I will hopefully post soon.
> 
> T/w for a panic attack:   
> It starts at “ the words like a punch to the gut, practically knocking the air out of him”  
> And ends around “ Remember that time we went to the park with mom?”

From an outside standpoint, robotic matches can seem pretty anticlimactic, but when you’re the one with the remote, doing your best to pick up as many balls as possible because your life plans actually depend on winning this, it’s stressful as _fuck._

Sanji comes forward to pick up another ball, and then he positions himself so that it will shoot over the robot wall in front of him and over to where Chopper and Zoro are waiting. 

It’s a slow process, and Sanji has long since given up on paying attention to anything except picking up each ball and shooting it over. He can’t afford to get distracted right now. Just like in swim meets (that Sanji was forced to participate in when he was younger- he actually thinks that he would have loved swimming if not for all the pressure from Judge to be _better_ ), it’s bad to look around you to see where your opponents are, and despite how tempting it is to turn and count how many balls are inside his opponents’ groggy ring, Sanji focuses on the task at hand.

He sends another ball over and another, cursing how slow this process is. He can only hope that Zoro and Chopper are preventing the others from gathering up most of the ball on their side. 

A buzzer sounds through, marking their slowly dwindling down time. If Sanji can just get one more ball…

The final buzzer rings through, and all of them immediately put their remotes down, not wanting to be accused of cheating. The officials come out to count the balls, and Sanji holds his breath through all of it. There’s not much he can do while he waits, so he shoves his hands in his pockets to hide how they’re trembling. Fuck, does he really need a cigarette right now.

“The Straw Hats win, 14-11!” The announcer calls out, and Sanji finally lets out the breath he’d been holding, turning over to look at Zoro and Chopper excitedly. Chopper is practically jumping up and down in a similar excitement, and Sanji catches Zoro flashing him a rare smile. 

Sanji’s so happy, he could practically burst. _Just one more_ , he thinks to himself. _Just one more and it will all be over_. 

“Congratulations,” a dry voice cuts through, and they all turn around to see the members of the Foxy team. Their captain, as Sanji can now recognize him, is the asshole in the first round that bumped into Nami, and standing by his side is the blue haired girl who’d taken an interest in Chopper. Sanji only now knows (as Nami has told him after he met her) that she had been the one driving during the donut race. Standing beside them are the three people who drive the robots for the Groggy ring, Hamburg, Pickles, and Big Pan (who, true to his name, is quite big).

“What do you want?” Zoro growls out, the majority of his attention focused on glowering at Porche. 

“What? I can’t come over here and congratulate you guys for a good match?” Porche asks, sounding extremely offended. 

“Stay away from Chopper,” Zoro growls, and Sanji raises an eyebrow at him. 

_Talk about overprotective_ , he thinks to himself amusedly. If he’s just a _little_ bit honest- of course this is something he would never say out loud, even under threat of bodily harm- that aspect of Zoro is kind of cute. Kind of.

Porche huffs, obviously offended by Zoro’s bluntness. “I’d be careful, if I were you, cabbage head,” she sniffs pompously. “Don’t think we’ll be as easy to beat as the others were.”

“It’s marimo,” Zoro corrects her through gritted teeth, and Sanji’s eyes widen, turning to look at Zoro in surprise. He can tell the exact moment where Zoro realizes what he just said because he freezes and sends a flustered glance over at Sanji. He only grows more flustered when he sees the slow grin that’s beginning to spread on Sanji’s face, his face pinkening considerably as he begins to fumble his words. “No- wait- I mean-“

“We all know what you meant,” Sanji says in a sing-song voice. “Ma-ri-mo~”

“Shut up, Curly,” Zoro grumbles, his usual aloof composure crumbling as his face just grows a darker shade of red. For once, Sanji isn’t irritated by the nickname. 

“Aw, don’t be like that,” he teases him, never one to let this kind of opportunity slip by. He slings an arm over Zoro’s shoulder, moving so that he can whisper into his ear. “Ma-ri-mo~”

Strangely enough, he feels Zoro shiver, but he doesn’t have that much time to think about it because Zoro practically shoves him off, his eyes blown wide open and his face so red it could put tomatoes to shame. 

“Stupid ero-cook,” Zoro grumbles, rubbing at his ear like Sanji spit on it. Sanji opens his mouth to reply- with what, he’s not exactly sure, but either way he’s cut off by a new voice entering the conversation.

“Sanji?” He turns to see Cosette standing there, looking strangely nervous.

“Yes?” Sanji asks, giving her a gracious smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Zoro shift closer to him ever so slightly. _Huh. Weird._

“Um…” Cosette starts off, clutching the skirt of her dress nervously as she looks up at Sanji through her eyelashes. “My friend isn’t staying for the finals, so I wanted to come and thank you before I left.”

“Thank me?” Sanji echoes, confused. “For what?”

“For what you did back in middle school,” she says, shifting nervously. 

The memory hits him like a ton of bricks, and his stomach sinks with guilt. “You…” he bites his lip, finding himself unable to meet her gaze. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“Of course I do!” Cosette exclaims, looking up at him with shining eyes. “If you hadn’t stepped in to stop Niji back then-“ she cuts herself off as people turn and stare at her in surprise because of the volume of her voice.

_If not for me, then he wouldn’t have done that_ , Sanji wants to say, the admission heavy on his tongue. He remembers what Niji had done, cornering Cosette one day after school and threatening her for seemingly no reason at all. 

Sanji knows the reason, though. Niji had caught him talking to her excitedly about cooking before, and had immediately pounced once he realized that doing so would “put Sanji in his place”. It was part of the reason Sanji had never tried talking with her again despite his happiness over finding someone who shared his passions over cooking. 

“I just- I realized I never properly thanked you before and-“

“It’s the least I could do,” Sanji tells her, forcing a smile onto his face. “I’m surprised you still remember that.”

“Of course!” Cosette exclaims in surprise. “You were- you were the first person I ever met that I could talk about cooking with!”

Sanji smiles at her. “It was the same for me.”

Cosette blushes, and shifts awkwardly again, biting her lip. “Then… do you think we maybe could-“

“Cook,” Zoro interrupts her, and Sanji blinks in surprise. He had almost forgotten Zoro had been standing there. 

“What?”

“We have to go, _come on_ ,” Zoro tells him, grabbing Sanji’s hand and practically dragging him away.

“What? Why?” 

“Just- you know.”

“I don’t know,” Sanji grumbles, but sends Cosette a regretful look. 

“I’m sorry!” He tells her, and she looks between him and Zoro, confusion written clearly on her face. 

“Oh, no, it’s okay…” she says, and Sanji gives her an apologetic smile.

“It was nice seeing you again,” he tells her with a wave, and Zoro grabs his other hand and practically drags him away. 

“Bastard,” he mutters, loud enough that Zoro can hear him. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro rolls his eyes. 

“Who was that?” Nami asks as he and Zoro reach their friends. 

“Someone I knew from middle school,” Sanji says, and then turns to look at Zoro who’s staring at their clasped hands with a strange look on his face. 

“Oi, marimo,” Sanji says, effectively tearing Zoro out of his thoughts (he can think?), and Zoro lets go of Sanji’s hand like it burned him. 

“She was cute,” Nami says, looking back at Cosette thoughtfully. She gives Sanji a knowing smirk. “Especially those freckles.”

Sanji feels himself blush at her tone, thinking of a certain someone he knows who also happens to share that feature. 

Nami’s smirk grows impossibly wider as she takes in his expression. “You should’ve gotten her number.”

“Huh?” Sanji blinks, shaking away thoughts of Ace. He thinks back to his interaction with Cosette and frowns. “But she wasn’t interested in me that way?”

Nami freezes, throwing Sanji an incredulous look. “Are you-“ she stops again, sighing. “God, I knew you were dense, but I didn’t think you were that dense.”

“What- what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Nami says in a sing-song voice, and then- to Sanji’s complete and utter confusion- reaches out to pat Zoro on the shoulder. Zoro scowls and knocks her hand away, and it’s a testament to how completely lost Sanji is to this conversation that he doesn’t kick him for treating a lady like that. 

“What?” Sanji demands again, but Nami turns away, leaving him to look to Zoro for answers. 

“Just focus on the match, dumbass,” Zoro grumbles, pushing Sanji away and towards where Chopper and Usopp are huddled at the table. “Chopper says his robot is acting weird.”

“ _What_?” Sanji gasps, panic welling up inside him. _Fuck, shit, no, not now_. He practically sprints over to Usopp and Chopper, looking over the robo with wide eyes. “What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t know,” Chopper says, his brown eyes blown wide and Sanji can see the beginnings of tears in his eyes. “Every time I try to get it to move, it makes this weird whirring noise.”

“What?”Sanji frowns. “Show me.”

Chopper takes the remote and pushes the joystick forwards. Like he said, it doesn’t move, and instead, it makes an unpleasant noise that _definitely_ doesn’t sound good. 

“I think there’s something wrong with the motor,” Usopp tells him, frowning down at the robot. “I checked everything else and it seems fine.”

“Fuck,” Sanji curses. “We don’t have any extra motors.”

Usopp nods, looking absolutely miserable. “If it was literally anything else, we could replace it.”

Sanji gnaws his lip, thinking fast. “Do you think we could ask any of the other teams? Someone might have one.”

Usopp shakes his head, his expression grim. “Most of the other teams don’t have this motor, since we bought the newest model. You can try, but I don’t know if it’ll work.”

“We’ve got to try,” Sanji says, feeling his nails dig into the palm of his hands as he tightens them into fists. 

Usopp nods. “I’ll try and see if I can fix whatever’s wrong while you do that.”

Sanji runs around, searching through the remaining teams in the gym. Most of them have already packed up and are leaving, and Sanji can feel panic start to settle in.

_Calm down_ , he thinks to himself, taking deep breaths. _Panicking will get you nowhere._

“Hey,” he says, greeting the nearest team. “Do you guys happen to have an extra motor?”

“No, sorry,” they tell him, and he repeats the process.

Like Usopp said, most teams that do have an extra motor have one of the wrong model, and Sanji’s efforts eventually turn out unsuccessful.

“Could you figure out what was wrong?” He asks Usopp once he returns, and he’s only met with grim faces. 

“Fuck,” he curses, reaching pulling at his hair in frustration. “What do we do now?”

Gentle hands pry his hands from out of his hair, and Sanji looks up to see Luffy staring at him with a grin. “Sanji and Zoro will just have to beat them without Chopper.”

Sanji feels the sharp taste of blood in his mouth as he realizes that he’s been chewing at his lip this whole time. He stops himself, looking up at Luffy with doubtful eyes. “But-“

“You can do it,” Luffy tells him, his smile bright and determined. “Sanji and Zoro can beat them.”

Zoro reaches out and punches his shoulder lightly, his face set in determination. “Come on, shit cook,” He says. “Let’s go kick their asses.”

Sanji swallows, his mouth dry. He looks at all of his friends who are giving him encouraging grins, and he nods, taking another deep breath. “Okay,” he says, his voice coming out much drier than he intended, and he clears his throat before continuing. “Let’s do this.”

…

“Ready?” The announcer starts, and Sanji attempts to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants. He can see Zoro looking over at him out of the corner of his eye, but he ignores it, reaching out and gripping the remote with white knuckled hands. “Start!”

Like the match before, the motions themselves seem anti climactic considering how nervous Sanji feels, but he focuses as hard as he can on what he’s doing. 

The Foxy Team’s robots aren’t particularly impressive, but one of their robots seems suspiciously close to if not bigger than the size limit. Not that Sanji can do anything about that right now, and he curses the fact that it was Chopper’s robot that had to break. 

Out of the three robot’s Sanji’s was the most simple and least helpful, minus the last game, but that had been a special case. He can’t gather up the balls as well as Chopper’s did, and he definitely can’t do it as well as Zoro’s does. 

_Fuck_ , he curses as he fumbles with the remote and loses one of the balls he was pushing. 

Panic builds up inside him as the game goes on, starting more as a dull background noise that he pushes to the back of his mind, but eventually building up to the point he can’t ignore. It’s hard to pilot the robot from how much his hands are trembling, but Sanji pushes forwards anyway.

He _can’t_ lose this, even if it was just his robot versus the other three. He quickly wipes that train of thought from his mind, knowing that thinking about losing and focusing on the result rather than the match itself won’t help. 

He keeps driving the robot around the arena, trying not to think so much, but with every second that passes, he just gets tighter and tighter. 

The sound of the first buzzer shocks Sanji, and he flinches, fumbling a bit with the remote again. _We’re running out of time!_ Sanji’s brain is screaming at him, but he has to keep going, has to grab as many balls as possible. 

He almost drops the remote to the ground when the final buzzer sounds through, and a sinking feeling is settling in his chest as he looks back and forth between their ring and the Foxy Team’s. It’s clear that they don’t have as many balls. 

Regardless, he turns to the officials, hoping for some kind of miracle. It’s possible right? Anything could happen, and-

“The Foxy Team wins 16-9!” The announcer calls out, the words like a punch to the gut, practically knocking the air out of him. 

Panic wells up inside of him, and everything is suddenly too loud, the walls are too close, the room is too hot as people crowd around him. 

Distantly, he can see Nami’s mouth moving as his friends move over to him, but he can’t hear the sound. His brain feels woozy, like someone stuffed it with cotton, but he just knows he has to run, he has to get away.

He stumbles backwards, unsteady, and it’s only then that he realizes he’s shaking. Everyone else turns to face him, concern written openly on their faces, but it only serves to make everything worse. All of the eyes on him seem to burn, so he just runs. 

He doesn’t know where or how he even manages to get his body moving, but he runs. 

At one point, he stumbles and falls because of the way the world is spinning around him, and he struggles to get back up again, his legs unsteady beneath him.

_Reiju_ , the thought shoots through him with frightening clarity. _She can help- she’ll know what to do._

He pulls out his phone with trembling fingers, infinitely glad that he favorited her contact for times like this. 

While the phone rings, he folds in around it, burying his hands in his hair, trying to hold onto some semblance of calm. The rings of the phone start fading into the background as he falls underwater, the oxygen practically sucked out of his lungs. 

“-anji! Sanji! _Sanji!_ ”

“We lost,” he stutters out, every word punctuated by a large gasp for air. “We lost, we lost, we lost-“

“Hey, hey,” Reiju cuts him off. “Listen to me, okay? Focus on my voice.”

Sanji tries, clutching his phone so tightly that his knuckles turn white.

“It’s okay, Sanji,” Reiju’s voice comes through the phone. “Just breathe with me, okay? Breathe in and out, in and out.”

_Breathe_ , Sanji thinks. _I can’t possibly screw that up, too. Just like I screw up everything else, just like-_

“Focus on my voice, Sanji,” Reiju says, her voice calm and controlled. “Breathe in and out.”

Sanji follows her instructions, his thoughts too scrambled to do anything else. It takes a bit before it feels less like he’s about to run out of air, but Reiju talks in through all of it. 

“Can you tell me five things you see?”

Sanji looks around himself, not having a clear enough mind to fully take into not where he is, but just immediately locking on to the small things around him. 

“Leaves,” he starts. “Grass. Trees. Trash can. Clouds.”

“That’s good,” Reiju says encouragingly. “You’re doing so well, Sanji.”

Sanji lets out a shaky breath, his grip on the phone loosening slightly. 

“Remember that time we went to the park with mom?” She asks, and Sanji immediately recalls the memory with a small shaky smile.

“You found a ladybug and caught it,” he says with a wobbling laugh. “I was terrified of it.”

“I convinced you to hold it, but it peed on you,” Reiju laughs along with him. “You haven’t touched a bug since.”

“It was gross,” Sanji protests, and Reiju laughs again. 

“You were so tiny and so small,” she says wistfully. “I used to be able to fit my hand around yours.”

Sanji looks down at his hand, remembering the last time he held Reiju’s hand in his. His is much larger than hers now, but he can still remember the feeling of her hand enveloping his back then.

“I’m going to protect you, okay, Sanji? Just like I did back then when your hand fit in mine so easily.”

“I just don’t want to leave them,” Sanji says, choking back a sob. “I don’t care what Judge does to me, I just don’t want to leave my friends.”

“Okay,” Reiju says. “I promise you, I’ll talk to dad. You won’t have to leave them, I swear.”

“How?” Sanji asks, his voice cracking. 

“Your big sister still has a few tricks up her sleeve,” Reiju tells him, and Sanji can imagine the confident smile on her face. “Just believe me when I tell you it’s going to be alright.”

“Okay,” Sanji breathes out.

There’s a pause on the other end before Reiju speaks again. “I love you, baby brother.”

“I love you, too,” Sanji tells her.

“Make sure to eat something, okay? And nap once you get the chance.”

“Okay,” Sanji smiles. 

“I’m going to go talk to dad now,” she tells him. “Are you going to be alright by yourself?”

Sanji pauses, looking up to see Zoro looking around confusedly, clearly lost. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Bye bye.”

“Bye,” Sanji echoes softly. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to him, but Reiju always knows how to handle it and calm him down. 

Sanji takes a deep breath and stands up, his body heavy with fatigue. He feels like he just ran a marathon, and he wants nothing more than to follow Reiju’s advice and take a nap. 

It doesn’t take long for Zoro to notice him, his eyes widening slightly before he starts running over. 

“Hey, where’d you-“ Zoro stops, taking in Sanji’s face. Sanji stares at him expectantly as Zoro seems to struggle with words, opening and closing his mouth without sound. 

“Well?” Sanji demands defensively. He knows he looks like shit, and he knows Zoro won’t make fun of him for it; however, right now he feels raw and vulnerable, and it's only natural for him to lash out in order to protect himself. 

He watches as Zoro clenches and unclenches his jaw before finally saying something. “I’m sorry,” Zoro apologizes, and Sanji feels completely taken aback. 

“What?” He asks, not quite sure he heard him right. 

“I’m sorry,” Zoro repeats himself, staring Sanji dead in the eyes. 

Sanji just stares at him, completely dumbfounded. “You- why are you sorry?”

Zoro frowns, like _Sanji_ is the one that isn’t making any sense. “Because you trusted me, and I let you down.”

“You-” Sanji starts, but then he cuts himself off, rubbing his head tiredly. “Just- Nevermind,” he sighs out. “You don’t have to apologize, it’s not your fault.”

He moves to return back to the gym, but Zoro stops him with a hand on his arm and a frown on his face. “Who said anything about this being anyone's fault?”

Sanji freezes, turning back to look at Zoro who is studying him intently. “Shit cook, you’re not seriously thinking that this is somehow your fault, are you?”

Sanji swallows, looking at Zoro confusedly. “Isn’t it?”

Zoro grabs his shoulders, focing Sanji to face him. “Explain to me how this is your fault.”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” Sanji hisses out, his hackles raising, but Zoro remains undeterred. He clutches Sanji’s shoulders tightly, his grip almost painful. 

“Explain,” he demands, and Sanji looks down at the ground with a scowl. 

“I’m the one who made everyone do this, I’m the one who built the robots, and I’m the one who piloted it.”

“ _We_ ,” Zoro starts, stressing the word. “Decided to do this. You and Usopp built the robots, and you and I drove them in the last round. There was nothing you did alone, so why is it only your fault?”

“It's because I’m-” _a failure_ , the thought echoes through Sanji’s mind, but he stops himself from saying it out loud. 

“You’re _what_ , Cook?” Zoro demands, his eyes narrowing at Sanji suspiciously. 

“It’s none of your business,” Sanji snaps, shoving Zoro away from him. 

Zoro growls frustratedly, but Sanji ignores him, instead marching back towards the gym angrily, but he stops suddenly once he catches his reflection in one of the windows. 

_Shit, no wonder Zoro’s acting so weird_ , he realizes as he takes in his dischevlied face. He doesn’t really remember crying, but apparently he did since his eyes are _very_ puffy and _very_ red. His hair is messy from when he had grabbed it earlier, and his face is unusually pale. 

He walks over to the bathroom first, turning on the sink and splashing his face with cool water. When that doesn’t work, he runs cold water on a paper towel and holds it up to his eyes. Eventually, it starts looking less like he had just been crying, so Sanji finishes by smoothing down his hair and taking a deep breath. _It’s okay, I can do this. I can act normal._

Zoro watches him through the entire process with a scowl on his face, but Sanji pointedly ignores him. 

Walking back to his friends feels a bit like a walk of shame, and he only feels guiltier once he sees the worried expressions on their faces. He shouldn’t have run off like that, but in the moment, he couldn’t help it. That’s not a side of himself he ever wants to show his friends, anyway.

“Are you okay?” Chopper asks, the first to run over by his side. He looks over him like he’s checking for injuries, and Sanji is extremely thankful for his last-second visit to the bathroom. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sanji says, trying his best to keep his voice light and unaffected. “I just had to call my sister.”

It’s not a complete lie, but it’s not the complete truth- either way, nobody seems suspicious of him, except Zoro who had seen Sanji’s tear streaked face.

“We’re sorry,” Nami says, stepping forwards. “We knew how much you wanted to win this.”

For the second time today, Sanji kicks himself for making a lady apologize to him for something like this. What would Zeff think? “Don’t be sorry,” Sanji tells her. “It’s not your fault.” 

Zoro gives him one of those looks, and Sanji knows exactly what he’s thinking despite the fact that he acts like he doesn’t. Zoro can think whatever he wants, but Sanji knows the truth. _He’s_ the one who fucked up, so naturally he’s the one who’s going to suffer the consequences. 

Sanji feels a pang in his heart as he looks upon his friends. What if this ends up being the last time he sees them? Reiju said she could convince Judge not to make him transfer, but Judge has been in a bad mood recently. Sanji wouldn’t put it past him to decide that clearly Sanji’s not getting the high quality education he would at Germa Tech and force him to change schools. 

_The car ride we share back home might be the last time I ever get to see them again_ , Sanji realizes as they pile into Franky’s van. 

Franky sits in the driver's seat while Robin sits in the passenger’s, Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper pile into the second with Chopper in the middle, and Zoro, Nami, and Sanji squeeze into the back. Sanji sits between them (he would never make a lady have to sit so near a brute like Zoro).

It’s only after he sits down that he remembers what Reiju said about taking a nap. He’s _tired_ , so very tired, but it feels like he’s running on borrowed time and he doesn’t want to waste it. 

Sanji tries his best, he really does. He listens to Usopp’s jokes and laughs at Luffy’s antics, but he can’t help nodding off slightly. Zoro startles a little bit as Sanji’s head falls onto his shoulder, but even that can’t stop him from fading out of consciousness. 

…

“Hey,” someone shakes him awake, their voice gentle. He opens his eyes slowly, and it takes a moment for him to realize it’s just him, Robin, Franky, and Nami left in the car.

“Where did everyone go?” Sanji asks, looking around. 

“We dropped everyone off at their homes already,” Robin tells him, looking back from the front seat. “They all wanted to say goodbye, but we didn’t want to wake you.”

Sanji gulps, sitting straight up. He looks around the empty vehicle, his heart breaking. He missed his chance to say goodbye. He might never see his friends again, and he slept through his last chance to say goodbye. Fuck, Sanji really wants to kick himself. 

“This is your stop, right?” Franky asks, and Sanji turns to see the Baratie. 

“Yeah,” he answers numbly, and he gets out of the car slowly. 

Nami seems to notice his reluctance to go, and she shoots him a smile. “See you after spring break, okay? Don’t forget to keep in touch.”

Sanji smiles at her, small and soft. Nami was the first person he ever came out to (even though it was more like he was forcibly outed), and she was the first ever real girl friend he ever had.

“Thank you, for everything,” he tells her softly. “I love you.”

Nami seems a little taken aback at first, but then he just smiles. “I love you, too, Sanji. We all do.”

Sanji’s heart breaks a little in his chest. “Yeah,” he whispers, standing out in the middle of the street and watches as the car drives away. Nami continues to wave out the back window until she fades from view. “I really love you guys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus scene:  
> Nami *looking at Zoro who’s trying his best not to move or jostle sleeping Sanji* you’re so obvious, you know that, right?  
> Zoro: *blushing* would you just shut up about that already?  
> Nami: *sighs* you’re so lucky Sanji is so dense
> 
> Next weeks chapter: what happens during spring break 
> 
> Thanks for readin’, please leave comments and kudos!


	11. Chapter 11

There’s good news, and there’s bad news. 

The good news is that somehow Reiju managed to convince Judge that staying at Grand Line High School is better than transferring over to Germa Tech, and Sanji doesn’t have to say goodbye to his friends yet. 

The bad news is- well it didn’t actually come as a shock to Sanji, but he didn’t get off completely scot free. Failure is still failure in the Vinsmoke household, and it’s absolutely unacceptable.

For his sixteenth birthday, Sanji gets two broken fingers and a beating. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know it was coming, but at the very least he had been looking forward to finally being able to work in the kitchens at the Baratie which now he couldn’t because Judge broke his fingers. 

_Small mercies_ , Sanji thinks to himself. _At least he’s not making me switch schools_. He’s not sure what magic Reiju used to convince his father that despite the “evidence of his lack of development” and “all the time he’s wasting prancing around at that school”, Grand Line High School is better for him than Germa Tech, but he's never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

He should be glad, in a twisted sense, that he’s not the only one who suffered from Judge’s bad mood over the break, but he can’t help but feel bad for his eldest brother who’s clearly favoring his right arm. He knows that pain (in fact he’s currently feeling it), and it’s not something anyone should ever have to suffer through, asshole or not.

Sanji also gets his phone taken away from him for the week, as Judge forces him to go through multiple books, and he even forces Sanji to observe hours upon hours of work at the company. 

It’s one of the worst weeks Sanji’s had in a while, and he’s more than happy to finally go back to school. There’s only one problem:

How in the world is he going to cover up the fact that Judge broke his fingers? 

Zeff somehow knows before he even tells him which Sanji chalks up to his supernatural protective dad instincts (which _have_ been fostering for almost eight years of Sanji coming home beat up). Even though Sanji can’t exactly cook in the kitchen yet, Zeff doesn’t make him work as a waiter (“I don’t want you to drop the food and waste it, shitty brat”), and instead lets him into the kitchen to watch everyone else. 

Not being able to join them is torturous, but Zeff seems to understand and makes it clear that he’s fully expecting Sanji to join them once he makes his recovery. “See that, eggplant? _That’s_ how you’re supposed to cook allo scoglio,” Zeff occasionally pops by to comment at him as well as “look at that idiot, even _you_ could do better than that.”

Sanji doesn’t mind, accepting his advice with his normal “I get it, so shut _up_ , you shitty geezer,” or “damn right I would, old man.”

All is fine and normal between him and Zeff. Sanji’s real worry is his friends.

Now he has friends that actually _care_ about him and definitely aren’t going to fall for some half-baked lie about getting into a fight- especially when it’s his hands in question. This is the first major visible wound they’ve ever seen him with, and Sanji knows he has to tread lightly with this, especially considering how perceptive some of his friends are.

“SANJI WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN ANSWERING YOUR PONEEEEEEEEEE!” Is the first thing he’s greeted with when he arrives at school, and before he knows it, there’s a boy with a straw hat coming at him at high speed.

Sanji throws up his injured hand immediately in an attempt to avoid injuring it more as Luffy practically tackles him in the middle of the hallway.

The next person he sees is Nami, jogging after Luffy tiredly. “Honestly, Luffy, you can’t just do that without warning. What would have happened if-“ she cuts off, looking at Sanji’s taped fingers with wide eyes. “What happened to your hand? I thought you said you never injure them.”

After Nami, the rest are quick to follow, even Robin. “What happened?” Chopper gasps when he sees him, and even Zoro looks concerned. 

“Don’t worry,” Sanji says flippantly, raising his injured hand and forcing a sheepish grin. “Just accidentally got my fingers caught in a door.”

“Ouch,” Usopp grimaces sympathetically, and Sanji mimics the expression.

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you answer your phoneeeeeeee?” Luffy whines, clinging onto Sanji like he hasn’t seen him in years. Sanji returns the gesture by patting Luffy’s head with his uninjured hand.

“Got it taken away,” he explains. “I won’t get it back for a while, so I can’t respond to any messages for the time being.”

“That’s no fun,” Luffy pouts, and Sanji smiles down at him. 

“It is an utter tragedy that I can’t see the shit you and Usopp spam the group chat with, yes,” he says, sarcasm heavy in his tone, but Luffy remains oblivious to it, instead responding quite enthusiastically.

“Yeah! Here look at this, you have to see this bug I caught-“ he’s cut off by the warning bell as he pulls out his phone, and Sanji thanks whatever higher being is out there watching over him. Fuck, he hates bugs.

Luffy pouts, but he’s gotten yelled at by his grandfather more than enough about being late to class (as well as getting multiple detentions, eating in class, _failing_ some of his classes, and- well, really just doing Luffy things), so he moves to go to his next class with Usopp.

Sanji moves to do the same, but he’s stopped by a hand on his arm. He turns to see Robin looking at him strangely.

“It’s awfully warm out to wear long sleeves right now isn’t it?” She asks, her eyes searching his.

Sanji can’t hide the way his heart just- stops. His breath gets stuck in his throat, and his response comes out strained. “I probably should’ve checked the weather before I came to school today,” he says with a shaky laugh. 

Robin lets his arm go, her face unreadable. “I see,” she says simply, and bids him goodbye as if she hadn’t just given Sanji a heart attack. Sanji watches her go with a sinking feeling in his chest, hoping desperately that this isn’t what he thinks it is. 

As if he’d ever be that lucky. 

...

Robin is the first one to put the pieces together because she’s brilliant and wonderful like that, but in this case, Sanji really wishes that she wasn’t.

“Mr. Vinsmoke,” she calls out to him after class, and he audibly flinches at the use of his surname. “Can you pleasure me with your presence- just the two of us- at lunch today?”

Now, in an ideal world, Robin would be keeping him after class to congratulate him on his success in his studies or- even better- to declare her undying love for him, but Sanji has come to know Robin in these past few months the same way he knows everyone else in their little lunch group of misfits; he knows that this is nothing like any of his fantasies. 

“Of course, Miss Nico,” He responds cheerfully in his usual tone that he reserves only for women, despite the nerves beginning to twist in the pit of his stomach. She smiles at him, the familiar quiet one that never _quite_ reaches her eyes, and Sanji swoons at the sight of it. He can’t help but feel a kinship with Robin because he knows they both carry the weight of their undesired existences on their shoulders.

Zoro looks between him and Robin curiously, moving to stay with Sanji, but Robin gives him a polite smile. “We won’t be long,” she assures him, and Zoro hesitates slightly before leaving the classroom. 

A heavy silence falls between the two of them as they wait for Zoro to leave, and it only adds to the growing feeling of dread in Sanji’s stomach.

“I can’t help but notice that you keep coming to my class injured,” Robin starts, breaking through the silence with a fucking sledgehammer, and Sanji’s heart drops straight into his stomach because _fucking shit_ he knows exactly what this is about. “And you and Mr. Roronoa haven’t gotten into any particularly notable fights as of late.”

“Ah, well you know me,” Sanji says with a forced grin that honestly looks more like a grimace. “I’ll fight anyone if a beautiful lady is involved.” 

“But there isn’t one,” Robin says, a pleasant smile still on her face. “Is there?”

Sanji can feel the smile fall off of his face, and he knows by now that anything he can say won’t dissuade Robin from the truth. “There isn't,” Sanji admits, desperately wishing for a cigarette. “But it’s- it’s not... what you’re thinking.”

“And what am I thinking?” Robin pushes gently. 

Sanji makes up his mind, and looks her dead in the eyes for his next response. “It’s just fighting,” he tells her, his voice even. “It’s not anything you need to be concerned about.”

“Hm,” Robin answers noncommittally. “Well if it was something I needed to be concerned about, I do hope you’d tell me.”

“Of course,” Sanji blatantly lies with a smile. “I’d tell you anything you wanted to know.” _Except this!_ Sanji screams inside. 

He knows he shouldn’t lie to a lady, but he’s been lying to them his entire life, so it really shouldn’t be as hard as it is now to turn around and leave the classroom. 

“Sanji,” Robin says before he leaves the room, and he freezes at the sound. Her gaze is even as it meets his, and Sanji can’t help tremble under the weight of it. “You never have to suffer in silence. You always have a choice.”

Sanji gives her a thin smile. “I know. And I’ve made it.”

Robin blinks, taken aback by the firmness of his voice, but Sanji doesn’t stop there, continuing on despite the part of him that was dying inside him. 

“Thank you for your concern, Miss Nico,” he says stiffly. “I’ll be sure to keep your words in mind.”

Robin frowns, but she doesn’t stop him as he leaves the classroom. He walks briskly down the now empty halls, an anxious energy coming off of him in waves. _How did she find out?_ He thinks. She’s clearly been suspecting it for a while, and his fingers must have been the tipping point. He thought he had been doing a good job of hiding the bruises, and even when he can’t, he only goes back to the Vinsmokes on the weekends, so it shouldn’t be that noticeable.

“Goddamnit!” He hisses, punching his locker with his uninjured hand. Pain flashes through it immediately, and he jerks it towards his chest with a yelp as he sinks the floor, his head pressed against the cold surface of the metal lockers. 

“Fuck,” he mutters for good measure, cradling his hand to his chest. He takes deep breaths to calm himself, looking down at his hand to make sure there isn’t any permanent damage. Thankfully, there isn’t (otherwise Zeff would kill him- one injured hand is bad enough), and he shifts through his school bag to where he hides his cigarettes.

“You’re not supposed to smoke in school,” comes a voice, and Sanji lifts his head up to see Zoro standing there, his face unreadable. 

“How long have you been standing there?” Sanji bites back, but he’s too mentally exhausted for there to be any spite in it. 

“You punched the locker,” Zoro says in lieu of a real response. “You never use your hands for shit like that.”

“Never is a strong word,” Sanji answers, but he knows the dumbass marimo is right. He rolls around so that his back is pressed against the locker, and fumbles around in his pocket for his lighter. 

Thankfully, Zoro doesn’t push, but he does come to sit beside Sanji while he attempts to light up his cigarette. It takes him a couple tries before he can get the flame going, especially with the added difficulty of his taped fingers, but as soon as he does, he takes a long drag, resting his head against the locker as he blows smoke out. 

The cigarette helps calm his nerves, and for once, Zoro’s presence fails to agitate him. That still doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to be an annoying asshole, so he turns and gives Zoro a lazy glare. 

“What do you want?” He asks him, his voice even. 

Zoro just grunts like the caveman he is, and Sanji rolls his eyes. “Are you lost, marimo? Do you need me to help you find your way to Franky’s classroom?”

“I’m not lost,” Zoro snaps back, and then hesitates. “But… since we’re going to the same place, I can put up with your idiocy for a little bit longer.”

“We’re not going to the same place,” Sanji tells him, and Zoro looks at him in surprise. He pulls his lunchbox out of his bag and hands it to the other boy. “Give this to Luffy for me, or are you not capable of doing something as simple as that?”

Zoro ignores the jab to frown at Sanji. “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to eat?”

Sanji doesn’t think he _can_ eat right now, and he _definitely_ can’t face Robin, so he just gives Zoro a crooked smile and attempts to avoid the question. “You worried about me, marimo?”

“As if,” Zoro snaps back immediately with narrowed eyes. He snatches the lunchbox out of Sanji’s hands and scowls. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on in that stupid head of yours, Curly, but don’t think for a second that we aren’t going to hunt you down and force whatever it is you’re trying to hide out of you.”

Sanji wants to laugh at the hilarity of the whole situation- because how fucked up does he have to be for _Zoro_ of all people to worry about him? But instead he just flashes him the middle finger, puts out his cigarette in the ground beside him and shoves it into his bag so that nobody will find it. He pulls himself up to his feet, grabs his bag, and walks off, not sparing a single glance behind him. 

There’s a place between the sports buildings and the back of the school buildings that nobody ever goes to, especially during lunch, so Sanji sits down there and pulls out another cigarette. By the time Sanji’s hands stop shaking, he’s down to just the butt of his cigarette, and like the one before, he puts it out and shoves it into his back. 

If his teachers ask why he smells like smoke, he’ll just lie about someone smoking at home again. Zeff will probably be pissed once he finds out, but Sanji really doesn’t give a flying fuck right now.

The sound of footsteps startles him, and he’s on his feet in an instant, ready to run away. 

“Sanji,” the sound of a familiar voice stops him, and he turns to see Robin standing there with a shadowed expression on her face. “Can we talk?”

“We just did,” Sanji says, and he winces at the harshness of his words. Zeff would kill him for a lot of the shit he’s done today: punching his locker, smoking at school, and being rude to a lady. 

Robin sighs, moving to sit down next to where Sanji had been before. Guilt over his behavior towards Robin today compels him to down beside her. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes before Robin says anything, and she lays her hand on top of his comfortingly. 

“Don’t be,” she says gently. “This is a very sensitive subject to you, I’m sure. You have every right to be defensive.”

“How did you find out?” Sanji asks, knowing by now there’s no point in denying. All he can do right now is ensure that Robin understands the situation and doesn’t tell anyone else. 

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while now,” Robin tells him. “The frequently unexplained injuries, the way you act around everyone else- like you can’t believe they actually want to be around you, your anxiety over lower grades, and the way you speak of the Vinsmokes- it definitely didn’t paint a very pretty picture.”

“I see,” Sanji says quietly, a little bit taken aback by how well she was able to read him. Was it just Robin or is he that obvious? 

“I haven’t told you much of my childhood, have I?” Robin asks him, and Sanji looks over at her in surprise. 

“No?”

“Both my parents died when I was very young,” Robin starts, her gaze growing distant and sorrowful. “My mother discovered things that she wasn’t supposed to see, and she paid for it with her life.” 

She takes a deep breath, and Sanji can see her struggle to find the words. The gravity of what she’s telling him begins to hit him as he notices the way her hand trembles on top of his. He properly clasps it, and she gives him a thankful squeeze in return. 

“After my mother died, I was passed around from foster home to foster home, but it was very clear in every one of them that I was-“ she hesitates slightly. “Unwanted.”

_Worthless failure. It would’ve been better if you were never born._

“Eventually, I was adopted by a man named Spandam, but it was clear that the only reason he did so was to figure out what my mother had learned before she died,” Robin takes another deep breath, her face darkening considerably. “He was not a very kind or forgiving man, but I was too terrified of getting sent back into the foster care system to say anything.”

Sanji swallows, his eyes widening as he realizes what Robin just said. Oh, Sanji thinks. _That’s what it is._ The look in her eyes reminds him of Reiju, and he distantly wonders that if Reiju hadn’t been so worried about him and his brothers or if the Vinsmoke name wasn’t so well known, would his sister be the same as Robin? 

“I’ve been where you are today, Sanji,” Robin tells him seriously. “I’ve been in your shoes, and I know exactly what you’re thinking, but whatever you’re scared of happening isn’t worth it.”

“It’s not the same,” Sanji corrects her. “The Vinsmokes are a family of old money. Even if I did tell someone, nothing would change. I’m completely powerless against them.”

“Sanji-“

“I’ve tried, okay?” Sanji hisses out, burying his head in his hands, and clutching his hair with his good hand. The tape around his fingers is hard against his head, just another reminder of Sanji’s hopeless situation. “The last time I went and asked someone for help, they almost got sent to jail because of it.”

“Even so, you don’t have to go through this alone,” Robin says softly as she gently pulls his hands away from his hair. “I’m here for you, and so are Luffy and the rest of us.”

She leans his head down to rest on her shoulder, and she runs a comforting hand through his hair. “You don’t have to keep putting up a strong front. When something hurts, tell us. When you’re scared, come to us and we’ll give you strength. When you want to cry, just borrow our shoulders. Even if we can’t make it stop, at the very least we can make it better.”

When Sanji doesn’t say anything, she looks at the wall across from him, her gaze growing distant. “It’s not the wounds that hurt so much as the words,” Robin says quietly. “Bruises heal and fade away, but what they say never leaves you. You can think over and over again that what they say doesn’t define you, but it's always hard to shake what you’ve been taught as a child.”

“I spent a large portion of my life convinced that I never should have been born- that my existence itself was a sin I could never repent for,” she admits, her pain evident in her gaze, and Sanji knows he can’t just stay quiet anymore.

“I am- _was_ the failure,” Sanji tells her, hastily correcting his slip up. “And when I do… _fail_ ,” he says, spitting the word out like it’s poisonous. “It just- it makes me wonder sometimes if they’re right.”

“Sanji,” Robin says, her voice firm but not sharp. “The ability to fail is a strength, just like your kind heart and strong mind. A child who knows nothing but success one day will fall and not know how to stand, but the child who falls and gets up will always be able to move forwards.”

It’s such a strange and bizarre concept to Sanji- that _failure_ could be a _good thing_. “You make it sound so simple,” he laughs, the sound coming out broken. 

“Yeah,” Robin agrees, her voice soft. “Sometimes that's all it takes. It’s a long process, but you’ll get there.” She pauses, a small smile finding its way across her face. “You’ll be okay.”

When Sanji was younger, he used to visit his mother at every opportunity. Sometimes, he’d be beaten and bruised, but the pain always seemed to disappear once his mother let him snuggle up beside her. She would kiss all his wounds to make them better and run a gentle hand through his hair while he cried on her shoulder. 

Sanji’s hit with a sudden sense of deja vu as he looks up to see Robin’s kind blue eyes staring down at him fondly, and the feeling brings tears to his eyes. Shit, he thinks as he buries his face in Robin’s shoulder. _Here’s another thing Zeff is going to kill me for._

Sanji lets out a broken sob, the sound muffled, and Robin rests her chin on his head. “It’s okay,” she murmurs, the sound vibrating through her body. “You’re going to be okay.”

And Sanji believes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who’s been sticking with this fic thus far! I know it’s long and the last couple chapters have been pretty angsty, so I’m really grateful to everyone! It really motivates me to keep writing :D
> 
> Thanks again for reading, and I once again shamelessly ask for comments and kudos ;)


	12. Chapter 12

When Sanji looks back on his sophomore year of high school as it comes to an end, it feels like it flew by in the blink of an eye. One second he’s giving this boy with a straw hat his lunch in detention, and the next he’s surrounded by the greatest group of friends he could ask for, saying their goodbyes for the summer. 

“You’re not going to be over there all summer, right?” Nami asks him, already in the process of making plans. 

“Nope,” Sanji replies happily. “I’ll be back home sometime in July.” Judge is leaving on a business trip, so there’s nothing making him stay in the Vinsmoke’s manor. He hasn’t even gotten there yet, and he already can’t wait to get out. 

Nami’s eyes sparkle. “Oh, that’s great! What do you think we should do? Go to the beach? Camping? Road trip? Amusement park?”

“Did you know that 120 to 140 people die camping at National Parks each year?” Robin asks with a pleasant smile on her face. 

Usopp audibly gulps, his face turning slightly pale. “That means we probably shouldn’t camp, right? _Right_?”

“Camping is fun!” Luffy declares happily. “Once when me, Ace, and Sabo went camping with Gramps, we fought this reeeeeaaaaally huge bear who tried to take our food! We ended up eating him instead, and it tasted really good! I bet Sanji could make it taste even better!”

Sanji’s horrified face is mirrored on Nami’s, and she immediately shakes her head. “No camping, then.”

“I’ve never been to an amusement park,” Sanji admits, and his confession is met by a large gasp. 

By looking at Luffy’s face, Sanji can’t help but wonder if that’s some sort of _sin_ , but before he can say anything, Luffy is tugging at Nami’s sleeve insistently. 

“We _have_ to go to an amusement park then, right Nami?” Luffy demands, and Sanji can’t help but feel a little touched. It’s the end of the school year, screw him for being sentimental, but he really thinks he’s going to miss his friends. 

Nami hums, thinking to herself. “Well the closest park around here is the one in Sabaody, and it’s still pretty far. Should we just make a whole overnight trip out of it?”

“As expected of Nami-swan’s genius!” Sanji proclaims, ignoring the weird looks sent his way by students walking past them. 

Nami’s not really even paying attention to him, already calculating hotel costs and making plans on how to save the most money. 

“We could all drive over in Franky’s van again, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Robin offers, and Nami nods at the older woman. 

A sudden thought occurs to Sanji, and he turns to Nami excitedly. “We can invite Vivi, too,” he tells her. “I feel like it's been a while since we’ve seen her.”

Sanji watches as Nami momentarily loses her composure at the name, but it's barely even noticeable even though Sanji knows about his friend’s crush. “True,” Nami agrees, already pulling out her phone. “I’ll just text the group chat about it. We should probably tell Zoro and Chopper, too.” At that, she pauses, looking around. “Where are they anyway?”

“Chopper had an issue with one of his grades, so Zoro went with him to talk to his teacher about it,” Usopp tells them.

“What happened?” Robin asks, concern for Chopper written all over her face. Like Zoro, Robin also has quite the soft spot for the younger boy (not that Sanji can blame her).

“I think his teacher put in the wrong amount of points for his final.”

“I see,” Robin nods. “I hope he gets that fixed.”

“I see Zoro!” Luffy exclaims, bounding over to the older boy excitedly. Zoro seems to have sharpened his Luffy-senses this year because instead of getting run over, he manages to get a good grab on Luffy as he throws himself at him. That doesn’t stop Luffy from almost suffocating him in the hug, but it is an improvement. 

Nami walks over to Chopper and Zoro, her hands set on her hips as Zoro attempts to extract Luffy. “You two better not plan anything in July.”

“What?” Zoro scowls at Nami. “Why?”

“We’re going to an amusement park,” She tells them, and Zoro makes a face.

“Don’t just plan shit like that on your own, witch.”

“Don’t talk to Nami-swan like that!” Sanji hisses at him, kicking his shin. 

“Fuck off, shit cook,” Zoro snaps back, and he returns Sanji’s kick. 

“You don’t have to come,” Nami says, her voice strangely sweet, and Sanji turns to see her looking at Zoro with a smug smile. “I just figured since it’s the only time Sanji would be here over break, you’d want to come. If you don’t want to, I can’t stop you.”

Sanji watches as Zoro and Nami have some kind of silent battle between the two of them, and the victor is clear when Zoro growls and turns away. “Whatever,” he mutters, crossing his arms and staring off to the side grumpily. 

Sanji misses the rest of their strange interaction as he’s distracted by Robin coming up beside him.

“Are you going to be okay?” She asks him. “A month is an awfully long amount of time.”

“It’ll be fine,” Sanji assures her. “I’ve been living in that house for the last sixteen years of my life. I can survive a month.”

Robin hums, sounding unconvinced. “Call me if anything happens,” she tells him. “Even if you think it’s inconsequential, I want to know.”

“I will,” Sanji promises, already feeling slightly conflicted between his desire not to make Robin worry and his word as a gentleman. If he tells her, but leaves out certain details, then it’s not breaking his promise, right?

Their conversation is interrupted as Nami comes over and tugs at Sanji’s sleeve insistently. 

“What’s up?” Sanji asks her, confused as Nami drags him away from the rest of their friends. 

“Don’t ‘what’s up?’ me, mister,” Nami huffs, letting go of Sanji and crossing her arms in front of her chest once she decides they’re an appropriate distance away from the rest of their friends. “Have you talked to him yet?”

Despite her not actually mentioning his name, Sanji knows exactly who she’s talking about. The thought had been weighing quite heavily on his mind all day. 

Sanji’s guilty expression is enough for Nami to know his answer, and Nami makes a frustrated sound. “Sanji, you’ve got to talk to him, he’s _graduating_. This could be your last chance!”

“He’s Luffy’s brother,” Sanji points out. “I’ll definitely still see him again.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Nami hisses. “What if he goes to college and meets someone there? What are you going to do about that?”

 _Absolutely nothing_ , Sanji wants to say, but he knows better than to verbalize that sentiment in front of Nami. 

Nami groans because she knows what he’s thinking anyway, and she facepalms. “Ask him for his number at least,” she tells him, and Sanji’s stomach tightens with nerves at the very thought of it. 

“ _Please_ ,” Nami tacks on, and Sanji falters. It goes against everything Zeff’s taught him to deny a lady when she’s begging him like this, so he hesitantly nods. 

Nami grins, looking extremely pleased with herself, and Sanji already knows he’s going to hate himself for this decision.

“That’s great!” She chirps, her voice cheery. “He’s sitting over there alone, so I’d take this chance.”

Sanji turns and looks at where she directs him, and- sure enough, there he is. Butterflies flutter in Sanji’s stomach at the sight of him, and he has the sinking feeling that Nami has somehow _planned_ this, especially when she slaps him on the back enthusiastically. 

“Go get him, tiger.”

Sanji doesn’t feel much like a tiger, but he goes anyway, trying his best to ignore the way his heart feels like it's running a mile a minute. Honestly, he’s perfectly content with _not_ doing this and just letting his feelings fade away, but for some reason Nami thinks he has a chance and he doesn’t want to disappoint her. 

Ace brightens up when he sees Sanji approaching, and Sanji’s heart rate gets impossibly faster. 

“Hey!” He greets him. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” Sanji says, wincing at the words. Why does he always turn into an absolute _idiot_ the moment he opens his mouth in front of the older boy? “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, it hasn’t quite hit me yet,” Ace admits, looking around their campus, his gaze distant. “Half the time I forget I’m even a senior. You don’t realize how much time has passed until you’re looking back on it.”

“I get what you mean,” Sanji says. “Freshman year doesn’t feel like it was that long ago, but I’m almost a junior now.”

Ace laughs, and Sanji feels his mouth break out into a matching smile. He’s starting to feel a little giddy- it’s pretty rare that he can talk one on one with Ace like this, and the world almost seems to narrow down to just the two of them. 

“Are you free in July?” Sanji blurts out, immediately hating himself for it when he sees Ace freeze and blink at him in surprise. “I mean, Nami and I- and everyone else- we were talking about going to an amusement park, but if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to- I mean why would you want to hang out with your younger brother’s friends and-“

“Sanji,” Ace cuts him off with a laugh. “It’s okay, really. I would love to go, but I was going to go on a graduation trip with Duece and the rest of the boys. Maybe some other time?”

“Oh,” Sanji says, trying his best to mask his disappointment. “Y-yeah, okay.”

 _What would happen if I confessed to him right now?_ Sanji wonders, letting his mind wander through all the possible scenarios. The best, obviously, is the unlikely case where Ace feels the same which would be wonderful and amazing, but it’s not worth the risk of the disgust or the hatred or- _what if he tells Luffy to stay away from him?_ Ace is a good guy, Sanji knows that, but Sanji can’t help but imagine Ace thinking he’s some kind of _freak_ and making it so that Sanji can’t ever see Luffy again.

Which- yeah, the thought of Ace hating him is terrible- but not being able to see Luffy again? Sanji honestly doesn’t know how he could survive that. 

Sanji immediately shuts down any thoughts of confessing, and shuts his mouth along with them, letting him and Ace fall into an awkward silence. 

With girls, it’s always been easy: Sanji starts crushing on her, asks her out, and maybe she says yes- maybe he gets rejected, but at least it’s over before it barely begins. He’s not left with this feeling, wishing for something more and asking so many questions without answers.

Is it possible that Ace could feel the same? If Sanji had the courage, would something have changed? It’s a story without an ending, leaving Sanji with a feeling that he doesn’t know what to do with. 

_At least ask for his number_ , Sanji urges himself, remembering what he told Nami. He takes a deep breath, gathering his courage, and he turns to ask Ace-

“Duece!” Ace says, turning away from Sanji to wave at his friend. “Took you long enough!”

Sanji feels his heart shatter as Ace starts moving towards his friend, only turning back to shout a quick “see you later!” at Sanji. _Well there goes that_ , he thinks to himself, turning back to where Nami stands, looking at him expectantly.

“Well?” She asks, not unkindly, but it still makes Sanji’s stomach sunk with guilt.

“I asked him if he wanted to go to the amusement park with us, but he said he was busy,” he informs her glumly, and Nami looks at him pityingly.

“Did you get his number?” She asks, her voice soft, and Sanji shakes his head.

“He got distracted.”

“It’s okay,” Nami tells him, pulling him into a quick one armed hug. “He’s not the only guy out there.”

“I’d really prefer if it just wasn’t a guy to begin with,” Sanji mutters, mostly to himself, but Nami freezes and turns to look at him. 

“Sanji,” she says, her face serious. “Don’t say that.”

Sanji feels a little bit guilty at the expression on her face, and he shifts uncomfortably underneath her gaze. 

“Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are and who you like again, okay?” Nami continues on, a frown marring her pretty features, and Sanji just finds him nodding in agreement, a little bit shocked by her reaction. 

Nami stares at him with narrowed eyes until she decides that he learned his lesson, and the two of them continue walking. “Him not liking you back isn’t the end of the world, anyway,” she comments, her tone light in a way that tells Sanji something he doesn’t.

“What do you mean?” Sanji questions her, and Nami smirks knowingly. 

“Sometimes what you’re looking for is right under your nose,” she shrugs, but before Sanji can question her further, they’ve met back up with the rest of their friends.

“Zoro!” She calls out, walking over to the green haired swordsman. Zoro’s eyes narrow at the sight of her, and he looks between her and Sanji warily. 

“You owe me,” she announces in a sing-song voice, and Zoro scowls. 

“Sanji-bro!” Franky falls out, catching Sanji’s attention so that he doesn’t hear Zoro’s response, and he turns to look at his now-former teacher. “It’s been absolutely _super_ having you in my class this year!” He tells him, clapping Sanji’s shoulder encouragingly. 

“Thanks, Franky,” Sanji grins. Even if he didn’t choose to take Franky’s class, the man definitely made it into an experience he won’t regret. 

“You’re one of the most hardworking students I’ve ever had,” Franky continues on. “You’re super smart, but you’re an even better cook! I’m glad you’re not going into engineering- only a true man can follow his dreams like you do.”

“I-“ Sanji starts, his voice giving out. He’s _touched_. It’s something he already knew, but hearing it from Franky like this wasn’t something he realized he wanted this much. “Thank you,” he manages to get out, and Franky sniffs as he looks between him and Usopp.

“I’m going to miss you two,” Franky says, his lip wobbling. 

_Here come the waterworks_ , Sanji thinks dryly, but even his eyes tear up slightly as Franky bursts into tears and Usopp follows shortly after. 

“Don’t cry!” Luffy exclaims, coming over to throw his arms over their shoulders. “We’ll see each other soon!”

Of course, that only leads to Chopper joining in on the waterworks, and soon enough, Luffy pulls everyone into a group hug. Sanji and Nami throw their arms around Zoro and pull him in to stop him from escaping (if Sanji has to do this, so does Zoro), and Robin puts one arm around Chopper's shoulder and the other around Nami’s. 

A lot of bad things happened this year, but when he thinks about it like this, he doesn’t regret anything. If he went back, he wouldn’t hesitate before giving Luffy his lunch again, even if it means that he might not ever be able to eat his own lunch again without having to protect it from wandering hands.

“I love you guys!” Luffy announces, his voice muffled slightly, and they all break out into smiles.

“We love you, too, Luffy,” Robin says, ruffling his hair fondly. 

Sanji doesn’t regret _anything_.

…

“Did you remember everything?”

“ _Yes_ , you shitty old man,” Sanji groans after Zeff asks him that for at least the fifth time. He starts putting his bags in the trunk of the car as Zeff watches him with his arms crossed.

“Are you sure? What about your-“

“Oh, for fucks sake, I’ll be back in a month anyway,” Sanji cuts him off with a huff and a loud _thud_ as he drops his bag down aggressively. “Plus if I do forget something, it’ll be a good excuse to come back.”

Zeff’s eye twitches. “You’ve tried that before, brat. Someone else came and got it for you.”

Sanji shrugs. “It’s worth a shot.”

Zeff doesn’t say anything back, so Sanji turns to look at him in confusion. His gaze is distant, and Sanji recognizes the expression on his face- he _hates_ that expression. 

It’s the expression Zeff gets whenever Sanji comes home with broken bones and bruises- it’s the same expression Zeff made when he found out that Sanji had chosen to protect him instead of his own self. 

“I’ll be back in a month,” he tells Zeff, trying his best to get rid of the guilt written all over his face. “And we only have to do this for two more years.”

Zeff scowls, and Sanji knows he’s mad that he saw through him so easily. “I’m not stupid, you idiot. I know that.”

“Then stop acting like it’s the end of the world,” Sanji huffs at him, rolling his eyes. 

Zeff scowls even more, the lines on his face growing especially pronounced. “I’m glad to get you out of my hair, you damn brat. Now that shitty glutton friend of yours will stop dropping by and eating out my restaurant.”

Sanji refrains from telling Zeff that Luffy is probably going to come and eat out his restaurant _anyway_ , and he finishes putting his last bag in the car. The driver Judge paid to pick him up waits for him impatiently, but Sanji really doesn’t give a shit. 

“If they do drop by, give Nami-swan and Robin-chan my love,” he tells Zeff, and Zeff makes a disgusted face. 

“I’m not giving them your _anything_ \- do it yourself when you get back.”

Sanji huffs, and he opens up the car door. He’s about to go in before he turns back. “And don’t forget that Usopp doesn’t like mushrooms, so when he orders-“

“I am _not_ going to take care of your stupid friends for you, eggplant,” Zeff grows, accentuating his point by kicking Sanji into the car. “Now go before I get in trouble with Judge.”

Sanji falls back into the seat without resistance, sighing as he looks up at his real father. “It’s only a month,” he mutters, mostly to comfort himself at this point. 

“Don’t get into too much trouble,” Zeff tells him quietly, and Sanji smiles sadly, recognizing his concern. 

“I know, dad,” he replies, and Zeff’s eyes widen slightly at the title. 

A small smile spreads across Zeff’s lips, and Sanji looks at it and thinks he sees pride. Whether he’s proud of Sanji or proud to be Sanji’s father, he’s not exactly sure, but Sanji knows that if they hang around here talking any longer, Sanji will probably end up crying. 

“Goodbye, son,” Zeff says, and his quiet acknowledgement of Sanji makes him feel warm. 

“Bye bye,” Sanji responds as Zeff shuts the car door.

The driver barely even waits for Sanji to put his seatbelt on before he hits the gas pedal, and Sanji watches from the back window as the Baratie disappears from his view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter was kind of short and uneventful, I promise things will pick up a lot in the next one. This was just something I needed to write in order to wrap a lot of things up for this school year before I started on the dreaded junior year 0_0  
> Next week: The straw hats go to an amusement park and- well, you’ll see
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, and comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *phew* this was a really long chapter. I honestly have no idea how I managed to finish it this early, but please enjoy!

“He’s late,” Nami hisses, tapping her foot anxiously as she searches for a familiar head of green hair. “I knew we should’ve just picked him up from his house instead- honestly, that idiot can get lost trying to find his way through a paper bag.”

“I see him!” Chopper calls out excitedly, and they all turn to see Zoro approaching, being dragged along by a pretty girl with pink hair that Sanji recognizes as his sister. 

“I swear to God,” his sister is ranting. “I should get paid for this, it’s like having to take care of a literal _child_. I told dad we should have gotten you one of those kid leashes, but did he listen? No! And now look what I have to do!”

“You’re going the wrong way, bitch!” Zoro shouts back at her, and Perona makes a very loud “ARGH!” noise that Sanji (and anyone who’s ever had to bring Zoro _anywhere_ ) can seriously relate to. 

“Zoro!” Luffy calls out, waving his hands above his head excitedly. “You finally made it!”

“No thanks to _her_ ,” Zoro huffs, and Perona smacks him. 

“You’re the one who got lost!”

Naturally, that devolves into a shouting match between the two of them, and Sanji watches as all the people walking past them send them scathing looks. One mother even moves to cover her child’s ears as a few choice expletives are exchanged. Nami notices this too, clearly conflicted over whether or not she should shut them up or pretend she doesn’t know them. 

It’s Luffy that makes the decision for her, launching himself at Zoro with a loud cheer. Perona, clearly unused to Luffy’s antics, almost falls over at the sight of the blur with a straw hat, and Sanji takes that as his opportunity to step in. 

“I’m sorry for their behavior,” Sanji says with a bow and a flourish. “A beautiful angel such as yourself is wasted on a Neanderthal like Zoro.”

Perona seems a little taken aback at first, but she relaxes with a smug grin. “I’m glad someone recognizes my suffering,” she sighs dramatically, and allows Sanji to press a gentle kiss to her hand. 

“Fucking hell,” Zoro growls, grabbing Sanji by the collar of his shirt and practically hauling him away. “You are _not_ allowed to flirt with my sister.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, mosshead,” Sanji snaps back, and Perona laughs in delight.

“I like him!” She declares, clapping her hands together, and Zoro pales. 

“ _No_ , what the _fuck_ , you bitch. Go home and play with your fucking creepy dolls or something.”

Perona opens her mouth to reply, but Nami cuts her off, gathering everyone together. “I’m sorry, but we’re already running late, so we have to hurry.”

Perona shrugs, uncaring. “Fine with me. Try and lose him while you’re out if you can. I don’t mind if he never comes home.”

Zoro’s eyes narrow at her. “Dad would kill you.”

Perona grins, but Nami cuts in again, not wanting to start another argument. “Don’t worry, we’ll get Zoro home safely. It was nice meeting you!”

She pushes Zoro into the car, ignoring all his protests. Sanji follows, blinking in surprise when he starts counting the number of seats. Last time they had ridden in Franky’s van, there had been just enough for the eight of them, but now, Franky somehow added another row of three seats into the back.

“Is that legal?” Usopp asks nervously when he notices the new seats, and Franky flashes him a grin.

“Got it inspected and everything!”

“I believe it is required for a licensed professional to do that,” Robin comments as she climbs into the passenger seat. 

Franky grins, a look that shouldn’t be as ominous as it is considering their situation. “I had a couple friends sort that out for me.”

Sanji grimaces as he climbs into the back of their possibly illegal vehicle. Zoro blinks over at him in surprise as Sanji sits down beside him with only the third seat in between them. Sanji sends him a look. _You got a problem?_ Zoro, accustomed to their particular brand of silent communication, shrugs.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper fill in the next row of seats, chatting excitedly, and Nami, Vivi, and Kaya fill out the final row behind the front two seats. Sanji watches in amusement as Zoro squints up at the front, confusion written all over his face. _Took him a while to notice._

“Who the fuck are you?” He asks, and Kaya startles slightly, stopping her conversation with Vivi to turn and to look back at him. Sanji grinds his teeth together in irritation at Zoro’s rudeness, the mosshead already grating on his nerves (and they literally just met up again!).

“Don’t be rude to a lady,” Sanji hisses at him at the same time Kaya introduces herself. “I’m Kaya.”

Zoro grins smugly, sending Sanji a somewhat triumphant look. “Sorry, would you repeat that? Some rude bastard back here was talking over you.”

“Ah! I’m Kaya!” Kaya repeats, and Sanji literally wants to die as she sends him an apologetic look. “Sorry, Sanji, I didn’t realize you were saying something.”

“No, no, no, you don’t have to apologize to me,” Sanji tells her, guilt washing over him like a tidal wave, and he sinks down into his seat miserably. 

“Everybody buckled in?” Franky asks, turning to look back at them from the driver's seat.

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp all let out an enthusiastic cheer as Sanji continues sulking in the back seat. Why is he so inconsiderate? It’s only natural for Kaya to respond to Zoro, so why did he think it was a good idea to say something then? 

Zoro kicks him, and he turns to glare at the marimo, realizing now that he’s probably going to regret sitting near him. 

“Stop thinking so loudly, it’s annoying.”

“You’re just annoyed because you don’t know how to think,” Sanji shoots back, straightening up to glare at Zoro.

Zoro, unable to make a comeback, rolls his eyes and turns to look out the window. Sanji settles back into his seat, pulling out his phone to look at food blogs. There’s one recipe he finds on a blog run by a woman named Jessica for Coconut Curry Salmon that he thinks both Vivi and Usopp will enjoy, and he saves the recipe in case he ever does get an opportunity to make it. There’s also a recipe for a raspberry crumble that Chopper will especially enjoy because of his sweet tooth, but it isn’t too unhealthy...

It takes a whole miraculous twenty minutes before Luffy finally gets bored just talking with Usopp and Chopper, and he starts kicking the back of Nami’s chair in front of him. 

“I’m bored,” he whines, and Sanji doesn’t need to see Nami in order to know she’s rolling her eyes. 

“Lemme look up games we can play,” Nami says, placating him. “Hmmm, let’s see… there’s a game we can play called while you were sleeping,” she cuts off to look back at Sanji and Zoro thoughtfully, and then sighs once she doesn’t find whatever she was looking for. “Can’t play that right now, though. How about 21 questions?”

“How does that work?” Luffy asks, and Nami makes a face.

“Oh god, I have to explain this to _you_. Let’s see…”

Sanji listens in on her explanation to Luffy, but then he turns back to looking at food blogs when she has to explain it again. When Luffy _finally_ gets it, they pick lots to see who goes first (Nami brought the sticks because she knew they were probably going to need it- Sanji senses that she has some kind of plan there, but he guesses he’ll find that out later). Zoro gets the short stick, so he goes first.

“Okay,” he nods once he decides what they have to try to guess.

“Let’s take turns on who asks a question,” Nami suggests. “We’ll snake through the car. Sanji, you first.”

Sanji sighs, turning to look over at Zoro. There’s only one _possible_ thing the marimo could have picked. “Is it a katana?”

Zoro blinks in surprise before scowling. “Yeah.”

“Great,” Sanji says, turning to everyone else. “Guess it’s my turn to pick something then.”

“What?” Luffy protests as the car lets out a collective groan, glaring at Zoro accusingly. “But I didn’t even get to guess!”

Sanji shrugs, and Nami sighs. “Maybe this wasn’t the greatest idea. Anyone have any other suggestions?”

“It’s been a while since we’ve played truth or dare,” Vivi suggests, and Nami considers it for a moment. 

“It’d be hard to come up with dares to do in the car, though,” she says, trailing off slightly.

“How about paranoia?” Kaya suggests, and Nami looks at her in confusion. 

“What’s that?” She asks as Vivi claps her hands together excitedly.

“Oh, I know that one! That would be pretty fun!”

Kaya starts explaining it to them. “I play this with my friends at school all the time. Basically, you ask someone a question, and the answer has to be someone in this group. Then the person that they picked has to choose either heads or tails, and if it’s right, then you have to tell them the question. If it's not, then they don’t get to know, and they get paranoid over what the question is which is why it's called paranoia.”

“How do we ask the question without anybody hearing?” Nami asks, looking thoughtful.

“We can text each other them,” Kaya tells her. “And I can pull something up on my phone that will randomly generate heads or tails.”

“That means Franky can’t play then,” Nami points out, and Franky looks back over his shoulder to call back at them. 

“That’s _super_ okay! I’ll just listen in.”

“Shall we draw lots to see who goes first, then?” Kaya asks, and Nami shakes her head. 

“I think you and Vivi should start since you guys know how to play. It’ll help the rest of us understand.”

Kaya nods, pulling out her phone and texting Vivi her question. There are a couple seconds of silence as Vivi reads it and then giggles. “Oh, definitely Sanji.”

Sanji feels his eyes flick over to Nami who looks between him and Vivi curiously. It’s literally just the first question, and he can already see where the game gets its name from.

“Heads or tails?” Kaya asks him, and Sanji considers it for a second. Whether or not he calls heads or tails doesn’t matter, so he just guesses randomly. 

“Tails.”

There’s a short silence before Kaya responds. “It’s tails.”

Vivi lets out a laugh. “The question was who is the most likely to cry during a romance movie.”

Sanji feels his face flush. He can’t exactly argue against that since he has cried (a lot) during romance movies, but it’s still embarrassing. 

“He’s turning so red,” Kaya giggles, causing Sanji to blush even more.

“Nami,” Vivi says, pointing down at her phone. Nami looks down to read her message. 

“Luffy,” she answers, and Luffy looks up at her confusedly

“What?”

“You’re my answer,” Nami explains to him. “Heads or tails.”

“Heads,” Luffy says determinedly, like it was some kind of important decision. 

“It’s tails,” Kaya tells him, and Luffy whines. 

“What? Nami I wanna knowwwwwwww!”

“Too bad,” Nami says with a grin. “Sanji.”

Sanji’s phone buzzes, and looks down at it. 

**Nami-swan**  
_Who would you be most likely to go out with?_

Sanji looks up at her in betrayal, and she just gives him a smug grin. “Come on, you gotta answer it.”

Sanji considers his options: Luffy is a big fat _no_ , Usopp is undeniably straight, Chopper is way too young, Robin is more like a mom to him, Nami likes Vivi so that’s also a no on both of them, Usopp likes Kaya, so the only person he’s left with is- “Zoro.”

Nami’s grin grows impossibly larger, and Sanji avoids looking at the boy beside him. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you blush really easily?” Kaya asks Sanji with a giggle, and Sanji puts his hands up to his cheeks to confirm that they are, in fact, very warm. _Fuck_ , he thinks, sneaking a glance towards Zoro. Their eyes meet, and Sanji’s treacherous heart skips a beat, his face flushing impossibly darker. 

“Heads or tails?“ Nami asks Zoro, looking extremely proud of herself. 

“Heads,” Zoro chooses, his eyes narrowed as he looks at Nami suspiciously. 

“Tails again!” Kaya announces, and Sanji lets out a breath of relief he hadn’t even realized he was holding. 

“Is that thing rigged or something?” Usopp asks incredulously, and Kaya shrugs. 

“Sanji, it’s your turn to ask a question,” Nami tells him.

“Usopp,” Sanji decides, pulling up his friend's contact and typing in a question. He already knows that if he asks him Nami’s, his answer will be Kaya, so he tries to think of something else. _Who would you share your darkest secret with?_

“Kaya,” Usopp answers, and Sanji feels his mouth curl up into a smile. _That’s so cute_ , he thinks to himself, and Kaya even blushes slightly when her eyes meet Usopp’s. 

“Heads,” she says, nodding at Vivi to flip the coin for her.

“It’s heads,” Vivi says with a grin.

“The question was who would you share your darkest secret with,” Sanji says, and Kaya looks touched as she glances over at Usopp.

Nami discreetly sends him a thumbs up, and Sanji grins back at her. It’s starting to seem like Usopp’s crush on Kaya isn’t as hopeless as his long nosed friend seems to think. 

“Chopper,” Usopp says, sending a text to the boy next to him. Chopper looks down at his phone, his eyes widening and a blush sweeping across his cheeks. 

“K-Kaya,” he stutters out, and Usopp looks at him in surprise.

“Really?” He asks the younger boy, and Chopper nods, typing something to Usopp frantically. 

“Heads or tails?” Vivi asks him, and Chopper picks tails nervously. Whatever Chopper sent Usopp seemed to placate whatever Usopp was worried about (fuck, not knowing the questions was seriously _killing_ Sanji), and the long-nosed boy seems a lot more relaxed. 

“It’s heads,” Vivi says, and Kaya groans, clearly disappointed. 

Chopper looks extremely relieved, and he turns to look behind him. “Zoro?”

There’s a moment as Chopper sends him the question, and Zoro looks up at Chopper in shock once he reads it. Chopper looks extremely nervous still, fidgeting awkwardly under Zoro’s gaze. 

Eventually, Zoro decides to answer the question, tilting his head to the side. “This guy,” he says, gesturing at Sanji, and Chopper’s eyes widen, looking between Zoro and Sanji in shock.

Sanji narrows his eyes, begrudgingly curious. “Tails,” he calls. 

“It’s heads,” Kaya calls out, and Sanji feels his stomach drop. _Damn it._

He looks over at Zoro who seems pretty relaxed, but Chopper looks like he just had some kind of epiphany. _What the fuck was the question?_

“Luffy,” Zoro says, and Luffy narrows his eyes, looking determined. 

“Tails,” he declares, and everyone turns to look at him blankly. 

“Luffy, you’re supposed to answer his question,” Nami says tiredly, and the black haired boy blinks in surprise. 

“Oh,” Luffy says, looking somewhat disappointed, and he reads Zoro’s text. 

“Nobody!” He declares proudly, and Nami rubs her temple in exasperation. 

“You have to pick _someone_ , Luffy.”

Luffy considers her words for a moment before turning back to Zoro. “Probably Nami, then. Her punches really hurt.”

Zoro doesn’t seem too surprised, and Sanji looks between the two of them, wondering what the question was. Knowing Zoro, it probably has something to do with fighting. 

“Tails,” Nami guesses.

“Heads,” Kaya tells her, and Nami sighs. 

“Darn it. Luffy, you pick someone.”

“But I just picked you?” Luffy asks, looking extremely confused, and Vivi places a hand on Nami’s shoulder before she can shout at him for being an idiot. 

“You have to pick someone and ask them a question,” Vivi tells him patiently, and Luffy nods.

“Robin!” He announces loudly. “Who’s the most likely to be a superhero?”

“Not out loud, you idiot!” Nami hisses, but Robin just laughs. 

“I’d say Chopper,” Robin answers him with a fond smile on her face. 

The younger boy blushes and grins. “That doesn’t make me happy at all!”

“Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen, then,” Nami mutters, mostly to herself. “Robin, you go next.” 

“Miss Kaya?” Robin calls out, and Kaya looks down at her phone. She blinks at it for a little bit, then smiles sheepishly. 

“Zoro,” she answers, and Sanji looks over at the green haired swordsman. His eyes are beginning to droop, and Sanji can tell it’s not long before the idiot ends up falling asleep.

“Hm?” He asks, blinking a bit before noticing everyone’s expectant gazes. “Heads.”

“It’s heads,” Vivi announces with a grin, and Kaya squirms uncomfortably.

“The question was who is the most likely to be a serial killer,” Robin tells them, and Nami bursts out laughing. 

“Oh my god, I totally see it,” she says, completely cracking up. Sanji laughs too because it’s honestly really true. Kaya still looks slightly embarrassed, but somewhat pacified as everyone agrees with her. 

Zoro just shrugs, uncaring. It’s probably some kind of messed up compliment in the dumb Neanderthal’s head. 

The car ride ends up taking a little over two hours. In the next round of paranoia, Zoro ends up falling asleep, so they stop playing so that Nami can teach them how to play while you were sleeping. It involves all of them coming up with a story that they try to convince Zoro that it happened while he was sleeping. They all just keep adding on to it until Zoro realizes it’s not true, and the person who messes it up has to do a punishment that everyone else decides on.

They have fun convincing Zoro that Luffy had caused some problems with law enforcement while he was sleeping, and that they are now on the run from the police. It is Usopp that ends up losing because his lie is a little _too_ unbelievable, and Zoro catches on to their game. 

Usopp looks extremely nervous when Nami says she already has a good idea for what his punishment should be, but she tells them that she’ll reveal it later. 

Zoro, on the other hand, ends up sulking for the rest of the car ride. Sanji has no idea whether it’s because he is mad that they tricked him or embarrassed that he fell for it. Sanji honestly doesn’t know what’s sadder: the fact that Zoro believed them or the fact that _Sanji_ probably would have believed them if he had been the one who fell asleep (he wouldn’t put it past Luffy to almost get them arrested- actually he’s kind of surprised they haven’t ended up on the unfortunate side of _some_ law enforcement already).

They arrive at the amusement park right after they eat lunch, and then they have to stand and wait through security before they can finally enter. Getting Luffy through is a struggle, but they succeed somehow. Zoro only gets lost a couple times, and Nami puts Sanji on marimo duty to make sure he doesn't wander off again. 

“Okay then,” Nami announces, pulling out a map of the park. “Where shall we go?”

“The horror show looks promising,” Robin comments, and Usopp looks over at her, pale faced and wide eyed.

“We have to ride a roller coaster, too,” Vivi says, and Usopp jerks his head over to look at her with the same terrified expression. 

“W-what about the teacups? And the carousel?” He stutters out, and Nami hums, considering their options. 

“What about food?” Luffy asks, looking over Nami’s shoulder at the map like he can actually read it. 

“Amusement park food is too expensive,” Nami tells him. “I’m sure Sanji will make something for you when we go to the hotel after.”

Sanji shifts guiltily. “Actually I was planning on visiting one of my dad’s friends. He runs a food stall in this area.”

Nami looks up at him, considering what he said. “That’s fine, then. As long as you can get a discount?”

Sanji nods enthusiastically. He’s not exactly sure if he can, but he’ll figure something out. From what Zeff has told him about his friend, he’s an incredible cook, and Sanji really wants to meet the man Zeff talks so highly of. 

“I’m hungry, though,” Luffy whines, and Sanji tugs on his arm, giving him a look. _I’ll buy you something, just don’t tell Nami._

“Suck it up, then,” Nami tells him, and when Luffy doesn’t keep complaining, she looks at him suspiciously. “What are you planning, Luffy? You better not get us kicked out of the park.”

“Nothing,” Luffy says, avoiding Nami’s gaze and whistling in a way that’s supposed to be innocent, but it immediately sets off alarm bells in Nami’s brain because that is Luffy’s very obvious lying face. 

Vivi catches Sanji’s silent plea for help, tugging on Nami’s arm to get her attention. “Don’t worry about him, I’m sure Sanji and Zoro can keep him in line. Didn’t you say something about a firework show earlier?”

“Oh, yeah,” Nami says, turning back to the map, and Sanji sends Vivi a grateful look. “There’s a fireworks show tonight, so we should probably save the Ferris wheel for last and ride it during the show.”

“Why don’t we do the more intense stuff first?” Kaya suggests, and Nami nods. 

“That seems like a good idea,” Nami hums thoughtfully. “What would you say the most intense roller coaster here is?”

“Kashigami?” Vivi suggests, pointing at one of the roller coasters on the map. “I went on it with my dad once and it made him throw up.”

“And Oars!” Luffy shouts out. “That one has a _super_ high drop!”

“You mean like the video game character?” Sanji asks with a frown, thinking back to the Smash Bros: Thriller Bark Edition character that Luffy is so fond of. 

“That’s actually based on an old legend,” Robin informs him. “Supposedly Oars was an ancient giant called the continent puller. He was said to be four times the size of a normal giant.”

“And this roller coaster is named after him?”

“It has a _super_ 255 foot drop at a 61-degree angle,” Franky tells him, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “One of the longest and fastest in the world- you hit speeds up to 85 miles per hour!”

There’s a strange wheezing sound that Sanji assumes comes from Usopp as he sways slightly on his feet, already looking a little bit sick. Chopper has a completely terrified expression on his face, but Luffy just looks really excited. 

“The Kashigami is pretty close to where we are now,” Nami says, tracing a path out on the map. “We can do that one first and then Oars.”

“I think I’ve suddenly contracted the-“

“You ride this one or you ride Oars,” Nami cuts Usopp off, staring down at him imposingly. “Take your pick.”

“The Kashigami’s highest speed is about 70 miles per hour, and the drop is 171 feet,” Franky supplies unhelpfully, and Zoro looks at him with muted interest.

“Why do you know all this?”

“I came here once for an engineering class,” Franky explains. “My professor would explain to us how all the rides worked while we waited in line.”

“That’s actually pretty cool,” Sanji admits. If he had known that before, maybe he could have convinced Judge to take him and his siblings here. 

“What about Oars Jr.?” Usopp asks, pointing at a roller coaster on the map. “That seems a lot… safer.”

“Usopp, that’s in the kids section,” Nami rolls her eyes at him. 

“W-well kids coasters can be fun too!”

“We should at least give it a try,” Kaya tells Usopp, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. “It could be fun!”

“Are you going to be okay to ride it?” Usopp asks her with a worried look. 

“I’ll be fine,” Kaya says, waving off his concern. “Come on, Usopp-san!”

Everyone watches in shock as Usopp actually considers riding it, and Sanji can’t help his amusement. Even the greatest cowards can be brave for their crush.

“Okay,” Usopp agrees, and Nami smiles, obviously filing away this information for later use. Usopp obviously regrets it later as they sit down on the ride, shaking so hard that Sanji is afraid he’ll hurt himself. 

“T-this is safe, right?” He stutters out, pulling down the harness and clutching at it with a tight, white knuckled grip. 

“The likelihood of dying on a roller coaster is one in 750 million,” Robin tells him as she settles down in the seat next to Franky. 

“But people die on these?” Chopper adds in from his seat next to Usopp. He, too, looks extremely nervous.

“Yes. 52 people died on roller coasters between 1990-2004- nearly four people every year.”

“Y-you know maybe I should just sit this one out. I have a bad case of I-can’t-ride-roller-coaster-itis, and I don’t think it’d be a good idea to-“

“Nice try Usopp, but you’re riding it,” Nami says from the front row next to Vivi. Sanji and Luffy sit behind her, and Sanji leans over to help tie the string around Luffy’s neck to keep his straw hat from flying away before pulling down both his and Luffy’s harness. Zoro and Kaya sit in the very back row, so Sanji can’t see them from where he is seated. 

Once the ride attendees judge them as safely secured, they start up the ride, it spluttering to life with the sound of a _pfft_ of air. 

“Enjoy your ride on the Kashigami!” One of the attendees calls out through the microphone, and Sanji lets out an exhale as they begin their slow incline. Luffy looks around excitedly as they rise higher and higher with loud clanking noises, and Sanji can’t help the nerves that settle into his stomach. 

They stop once they reach the peak of the incline, a suspenseful pause in which Sanji takes a trembling breath. _Here we go…_

The cart slowly falls down, twisting to the side as it picks up more and more speed, the wind slapping Sanji in the face as they begin accelerating around a gradual curve. It begins lifting upwards, and gravity pushes Sanji’s chin into his chest as they reach the top of their first loop. 

It’s honestly _exhilarating_ , the rush of adrenaline that hits as they race around the track. Sanji finds himself letting out a loud _whoop_ as they complete loop after loop, and he can hear Nami and Vivi screaming loudly in delight as the ride goes on. 

One particular loop has them twisting around as they travel through it, and then they go through _another_ loop right after it. Sanji loses track of how many they go through, letting out a bright laugh as he hears Franky shout “ _super_!” from somewhere behind him.

They twist in circles that leave Sanji feeling a little dizzy, travel up small inclines and back down to build momentum, veering through sharp turns, and by the time the ride slows down and they reach the end, Sanji can’t help but wish it had lasted longer. 

“Again!” Luffy shouts out as they reach the end, and Sanji can’t help but agree. Nami and Vivi look a little winded but otherwise delighted, and Chopper and Usopp collapse to the ground when it's all over, their legs giving out from underneath them. 

“Never again,” Usopp wheezes, not even bothering with the false bravado or lies. 

“I agree,” Kaya says, letting out a slow breath and placing a dainty hand on her forehead. Zoro walks beside her, looking completely unaffected. “That was a bit too much.”

“Are you okay?” Sanji asks her, concerned over the even paler than usual shade of her skin. 

“Just need to sit down for a bit,” She says, waving off his concern as she eases herself down onto a bench. 

Nami bites her lip, looking a little guilty. “Should we not have ridden it?”

“No, not at all,” Kaya smiles reassuringly. “It was really fun. I wish I could ride more, but I’m afraid my body can’t quite handle it.”

“Again?” Luffy repeats, softer this time, looking around at everyone like a kicked puppy.

“Go ahead and ride it without me,” Kaya tells them with a smile, and Vivi frowns. 

“It’s not fair to leave you by yourself, though,” she protests, and Robin steps forwards.

“I can take Chopper, Usopp, and Miss Vivi to view different attractions,” she tells them. “We can meet back up later.”

“Are you sure?” Nami asks her, and Robin nods. 

“If that’s alright with you then…” Nami trails off, pulling the map out. “Meet at the horror show at like 4?”

“Sounds good,” Robin says easily. 

“Again?” Luffy asks for the third time, looking significantly more optimistic this time. 

Nami grins. “Let’s go again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kashigami is based off viper at six flags magic mountain, and oars is based on Goliath if anyone is curious. All the facts and stuff are accurate, I looked them up haha
> 
> Part two of the amusement park will be out next week! Please leave comments and kudos for me hehehe


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew okay here’s another long chapter 
> 
> T/W for panic attack during the horror show

If someone told him a year ago that he’d be on a roller coaster 255 feet in the air about to drop almost straight down surrounded by friends who love him just as much as he loves them, he would ask them if that was some kind of sick joke. Yet here he is, looking down from the highest point of the amusement park with Luffy practically vibrating with excitement beside him. 

“Holy shit,” Sanji whispers in awe and honestly quite a bit of fear once he sees how far down the ground is. He can see the entire amusement park stretching out around him, and he briefly wonders if he could spot the others from here.

And then they drop.

Sanji would be lying if he said he didn’t feel his heart practically _stop_ as they start plummeting down to the ground at a ridiculous speed. The wind gets so loud in his ears that it drowns out the screams from everyone behind him, and it hits him in the face with a force that’s nothing less than jarring.

It’s absolutely terrifying, and Sanji’s having more fun than he’s ever had in his life.

After their plummet downwards, the roller coaster swoops back upward to an almost seemingly impossible height. Literally just the momentum from their fall gives them the force to move back up, and Sanji finds himself completely wowed. 

They fall back down again, slower but not any less exhilarating. Sanji loses himself in the ride, whooping in delight every time the coaster rises and falls. There definitely aren’t as many twists and turns as the last ride, but this one is _much_ faster. 

By the time they leave the ride, Sanji feels significantly winded and just a little light headed. Luffy, on the other hand, is already jumping up and down, demanding they go again, and for the first time that day, Sanji thinks that _might_ not be the greatest idea.

“Let’s take a break,” Nami suggests. “We’ve been riding roller coasters for a while. It would probably be better to do something a little calmer.”

Luffy pouts, but then brightens back up almost immediately. “Let’s ride that one!” He calls out, pointing at one of the many rides in front of them. It definitely looks a lot calmer than any of the others they’ve ridden today; it’s just a cart that’s been shaped to look like a log drifting through a steady stream of water. Why would Luffy want to go on something like that?

“Oh my god, Sanji,” Someone from behind him says, letting out a stifled laugh. He turns around to see Vivi, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She has a hand over her mouth, but it does nothing to hide her smile. “Your _hair_.”

There’s a loud snort, and Sanji turns around to see Zoro laughing at him. Confused, Sanji pulls out his phone camera to get a better look. His hair looks absolutely _appalling_. It’s completely unruly, sticking up in different directions, and it’s swept back enough that people can see his mismatched eyebrows.

“Shit,” he mutters to himself, rushing to fix it. “Shut the fuck up,” he hisses as Zoro continues to laugh at him. He frowns once he sees _Zoro’s_ hair which looks completely fine despite the fact that Sanji’s looks like a bird’s nest.

“What the fuck,” he growls. “How come _your_ hair is fine?”

“Cause my hair is better,” Zoro announces smugly. 

“Your hair is green!”

Sanji reaches up to aggressively rub Zoro’s hair in an attempt to ruin it, shocking himself at the texture. He had expected it to be rough and unpleasant, but it was actually a lot softer than he thought it would be. Zoro responds in turn, shoving a hand in Sanji’s hair in an attempt to ruin it even more. Sanji lets out an “ _ack!_ ”, and he kicks Zoro which- to nobody’s surprise- devolves into a mini-fight that Nami has to break in and stop. 

“Honestly, you two,” she huffs. “Can’t you keep your hands off of each other for five seconds?”

Zoro makes a weird choking sound, and Sanji turns to look at him. Zoro refuses to meet his eyes, a strange blush on his face. 

Sanji looks around the rest of their group, annoyed to see that everyone else’s hair looks similarly unaffected. The two wonderful ladies had their hair in ponytails, so theirs stayed completely flawless (just like them). Even Franky’s hair by some miracle was still standing up in its normal ridiculous way. _How much hair gel must he put in that?_

Luffy’s looked a little ruffled but otherwise fine as he bounced around. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” He calls out, grabbing onto the closest person (Nami) and pulling them towards the log ride.

Nami’s grin becomes scheming once she sees where Luffy is attempting to direct her. “That’s a great idea, Luffy!” She says, her voice cheery. “Let’s go!”

Everyone else follows after her, Sanji looking around curiously. The ride seems pretty simple and honestly kind of boring; What’s the point in just drifting through water on a log?

“We should draw lots for who sits in the front,” Nami announces, turning back to hold out the bundle of sticks she had brought. They all pick one of the offered sticks, and Luffy has to go last so he doesn’t grab all of them again. 

“I got the short stick,” Sanji says, holding it out. 

Vivi lets out a quiet “thank god” and Nami’s grin grows even bigger. “Good luck, Sanji,” she sings, and Sanji looks around in confusion. 

“Is that a bad thing?”

Everyone stops (minus Luffy and Franky who are completely distracted by something else) and turns back to stare at him in disbelief.

“Sanji,” Nami asks slowly. “Have you never ridden one of these rides before?”

“No?” Sanji answers, and it comes out like a question. 

The scheming grin finds its way back onto Nami’s face, and she looks strangely pleased about herself. 

“What?” Sanji asks, looking between Vivi, Zoro, and Nami. Zoro just shrugs, looking away disinterestedly, and Vivi gives him a pitying smile. 

“You’ll see,” Nami sings, and Sanji determines that getting any answers out of them is practically impossible. He’ll just have to find out for himself, he figures as he gets on the ride. 

Like he originally thought, it’s pretty boring, and they spend a majority of the ride just gliding along in the fake log. The best thing about it is the view: from where they are, they can see decently far into the rest of the park, and Sanji entertains himself by amusedly watching people scream as they fall down the drop on Oars.

To Sanji’s surprise, they actually end up going onto a conveyor belt that pulls the log upwards, exiting the stream of water for a moment to rise higher. _Is there going to be some kind of drop?_ He wonders to himself. _Is that why everyone was acting so weird? But then why would it matter if I’m in the front?_

The log comes off the conveyor belt, entering back into the water with a small splash, and Sanji flinches away to avoid getting wet. 

“Here we go,” Nami says from the back of their log, and Sanji turns to look at her in confusion. She gestures at him to turn around, so he looks back, blinking in surprise when he sees what’s ahead of them. 

There _is_ a drop, but it’s nothing compared to the one from the ride they just went on, so Sanji relaxes, not particularly nervous. The log tips forwards, the angle pretty gradual (but maybe Sanji’s just been desensitized because of Oars), and Sanji grins, expecting the now familiar rush of air as they accelerate downwards.

What he’s not expecting is the spray of cold water that splashes him as they reach ground level, erupting up as they hit the bottom of the drop. Nami and Vivi giggle delightedly behind him, and he notices that they had the foresight to duck and avoid the water. 

Sanji, on the other hand, took the brunt of the splash, his hair plastered to his face and his clothes heavy with the added weight of the water. _What the fuck_ , he thinks to himself blankly.

“Yahoo!” Luffy cheers from behind him, and the ride turns back around to let them out. Sanji exits the ride, wincing at the unpleasant way his clothes are sticking to his body. 

“And that,” Nami announces. “Is why you don’t want to sit in the front.”

Sanji feels _betrayed_. He just stands there in the middle of his friends, dripping like some kind of wet dog while the rest of them are dry. Well, most of them, Sanji amends as he looks at Luffy who is also wet, but he’s much more cheerful about it. 

But if Luffy is wet, Sanji is _soaked_. He completely regrets his decision to wear a white shirt today, since the water makes it practically transparent. He’s glad that he avoided getting into fights with his brothers during the past month because it would’ve been impossible to hide like this. The way his shirt is clinging to his body right now leaves little to the imagination, and Sanji shivers as a gust of wind hits him. 

“Eyes over here, Zoro,” Nami calls out in a sing-song voice, and Sanji turns to look at the two of them in confusion. Zoro looks strangely flushed as he glares at Nami, and Nami’s face is a perfectly crafted mask of innocence. 

“I think we should get you new clothes,” Vivi says, looking at Sanji with pity in her eyes. “That’s probably not going to dry for a while.”

Sanji looks down at his sopping wet shirt and pants. He doesn’t particularly want to change clothes, but he has a feeling that he’s probably going to have to. 

He pulls out his wallet, thanking whatever higher being that is out there that it stayed dry. It’ll probably cost around $25 to buy Luffy something to eat, and he’s assuming that buying a shirt will be about the same cost. He refuses to use any of Judge’s money, so Reiju had given her his credit card before he left, telling him that he could use it as much as he wanted. The problem is, Sanji would feel guilty using Reiju’s money after everything _else_ she does for him, but as he pulls it out, he decides that can always pay her back later. 

“ _Yow_! The nearest gift store is over there,” Franky tells him, gesturing towards a store a little further down. Sanji notices the theme park restaurant next to it, and turns to Luffy.

“Do you want a new shirt, too?”

“Yeah!” Luffy cheers, bounding over to Sanji. 

“You don’t have to pay for both of them,” Vivi tells him, pulling out her own wallet with a concerned look on her face. 

“It’s okay,” Sanji shakes his head, showing her Reiju’s card. “My sister gave me her card.”

Vivi still looks concerned, but she doesn’t protest as Luffy and Sanji walk over to the shop. There is a surprising amount of shirts there, and Sanji eventually settles on one with a picture of a roller coaster on it that reads “ _this is how we roll_ ”. He buys Luffy a shirt that has a picture of Oars’ massive drop and it’s logo, and the cashier looks at them amusedly when he sees how wet they are. 

“Do you want something to eat?” Sanji asks Luffy, and Luffy immediately jerks around to look at him elatedly. 

“Yes!” He agrees happily, and he launches himself at Sanji in order to hug him. Sanji laughs and ruffles Luffy’s hair fondly. The younger boy may be a menace when it comes to food, but there’s nothing better than watching Luffy eat. You can always tell that he enjoys it with every ounce of his being. 

Sanji ends up ordering Luffy a hot dog _and_ a burger while Luffy hangs off of him like some kind of koala, and the girl at the cash register looks at him like he’s a crazy person. Sanji decides not to flirt with her because he has a feeling she won’t take it especially well, and focuses instead on trying to save his wallet instead. He decided to pay for Luffy’s food with his own money, and his most recent paycheck from Zeff _definitely_ wasn’t enough to satiate Luffy’s massive appetite. 

Luffy inhales his hotdog like a starving man, but he actually pauses while he eats the burger, offering it out to Sanji.

“No, it’s okay,” Sanji says, shaking his head. He’s honestly touched that Luffy cares enough to offer him food (Luffy does _not_ share food easily). “I’m not hungry.”

Luffy stares at him for a bit, probably determining whether or not Sanji is lying, and then returns to his food with his former gusto. It barely takes him any time at all to finish it, so they return back to the rest of the group in enough time that Nami isn’t suspicious. 

Unfortunately, Nami is brilliant, so she knows almost as soon as they come back, pulling Sanji aside to question him. “You bought him food, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Sanji admits, knowing better than to lie to Nami. 

“Sanji!” She hisses. “You can’t keep spoiling him like this!”

“I can’t help it,” he protests. “Besides, if someone is hungry, I _have_ to feed them.”

“But Luffy is _always_ hungry,” Nami argues, and Sanji bites his lip, hating that he has to argue with her like this. This is one thing he will never budge on, though.

“Then, I’ll always feed him,” Sanji says seriously, and Nami looks at him for a moment before sighing.

“Fine,” she mutters. “It’s your decision.”

…

The first thing that Sanji notices when he meets up with the rest of the group is the antlers on Chopper’s head.

“Look!” he tells them excitedly, running up to Zoro. “Robin bought me these!”

“Congrats,” Zoro tells him dryly, but there’s a fond smile on his face as he reaches down and ruffles Chopper’s curly hair. 

“That’s so cool!” Luffy cheers, stars in his eyes as he admires the headband on Chopper’s head. “Look at my shirt!”

“What did you guys end up doing?” Vivi asks, directing her question at Kaya. 

The blonde girl smiles, looking significantly better than she had after riding the roller coaster. “We went to the kids section and rode Oars Jr a couple of times. We also went on the teacups and the carousel.”

“Did you have fun?” Nami asks Usopp with a teasing grin.

“Of course we did,” Usopp says, rubbing his nose proudly like he always does after a bad lie. “I, the Great Usopp, fearlessly conquered the terrifying Oars Jr, and rode a grand stallion on the carousel to-”

“Oh, I see,” Nami smirks. “Then going into the horror show next will be nothing, right?”

Usopp stumbles over his words, looking up at Nami with wide eyes. “What? I thought you guys already went.”

“We would _never_ go without _you_ ,” Nami mock gasps. “How could we ever get through it without the Great Usopp?”

Usopp gulps, the sound so loud that their whole group can hear it. “W-well I’m sure while it would be a struggle, you _could_ get through it without me.”

“Horror show?” Luffy asks, already looking excited. “I’ve never gone before! Let’s go now!”

“What’s a horror show?” Sanji asks them curiously. He’s never been particularly scared of horror movies, so he isn’t particularly worried. He’s just a little hesitant to underestimate any of the rides at this amusement park after he got soaked on the log ride.

“Ever been in a haunted house?” Vivi asks him, and Sanji shakes his head. He’s seen them in movies since those are the only kinds of movies his brothers watch, so he has the general idea of what they’re like. 

“Is it like that?” Sanji asks, a sinking feeling in his stomach. If it’s anything like a haunted house, then that means…

“It is a haunted house,” Nami tells him. “They just call it a horror show here.”

_Oh fuck_ , Sanji thinks. There is almost no possible way that going through a dark space without any windows like that won’t trigger his claustrophobia. 

Usopp speaks up next, grasping desperately for any kind of excuse. “You know, I think I’ve suddenly contracted the-”

“There’s no way you’re _scared_ , is there Usopp?” Nami asks, cutting off whatever lie Usopp was going to say in order to get out of it. “Because _everybody_ is going, and if you don’t…” she trails off, looking at Usopp challengingly, and Sanji can see the exact moment that Usopp’s soul leaves his body as he resigns himself to his fate.

Sanji actually feels similarly trapped. If he says he has claustrophobia, then it will be just like Usopp and his made up illnesses, and everyone will make fun of him for being scared. He doesn’t want to seem _weak_ , so he just resolves himself to go through the haunted house with trembling hands. _It can’t be that bad, right?_

“Let’s go in pairs,” Nami suggests. “Just so _certain_ people don’t get lost or cause mayhem.”

Zoro scowls at her, but Luffy remains oblivious, too busy trying to run into the horror show without the rest of them.

“What should the pairs be?” Kaya asks, and Nami hums, looking thoughtful. Sanji can tell, however, that the thoughtful face is an act, and he realizes that Nami’s been planning this all day long. 

“Luffy and Chopper, Me and Vivi, Kaya and Usopp, Zoro and Sanji, Robin and Franky,” she lists them off, looking around the group expectantly. “Any problems?”

“Uh, yeah,” Sanji answers with a frown. “Why am I with the marimo?”

“Because I can trust you not to get him lost,” Nami replies simply, and both Zoro and Sanji scowl. Sanji can’t exactly argue against Nami, and Zoro just rolls his eyes. 

“Let’s go, shit cook,” he says gruffly, grabbing onto Sanji and moving to enter the horror show. 

“W-wait!” Sanji stutters out, surprised. He is _nowhere_ near mentally prepared enough to go in there yet. 

“What?” Zoro asks, turning to look at him strangely. Sanji’s immediately forced to make a decision- back out now or risk having a panic attack in front of Zoro. 

“Nevermind,” he says crossly, taking a steadying breath. _It’s okay, I can do this_. “Let’s get this over with, mosshead.”

The darkness is the first thing Sanji notices, having to blink a couple times to get his eyes used to the lack of light. It’s just like all those times before, when all Sanji had for company was himself and the darkness, and no matter how much he cried, nobody could hear him-

He shuts down that train of thought before he gets pulled back into it, hating the way he's already beginning to tremble. _Deep breaths_ , he thinks, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. _It’s okay, I can do this._

The air is thin and stale, and almost everything about this place is already setting off warning signs in Sanji’s brain. He wipes his sweaty hands on his pants, quickening his walking pace. He hasn’t been in here for long, and he already wants out. 

“Oi, slow down,” Zoro calls after him, and Sanji flinches at the sound of his voice. _It’s okay, it’s just Zoro_ , he thinks to himself, trying to calm down his already racing heart. _Fuck, this wasn’t a good idea at all._

Sanji has never been afraid of monsters or zombies- that’s not what he was worried about when he entered. But the whole entire situation has put him on edge, and it all just blows up in his face when a man dressed like a zombie jumps out at him. 

The thing about haunted houses is that they’re made to _increase_ your panic. Strobe lights flash through Sanji’s vision, and everything starts to become _too much_. The walls are too close, the lights are too bright, the music and screams are too loud, and the air just keeps thinning around him. 

Sanji doesn’t really realize he’s curled in on himself on the ground or that he’s gasping for breath until he feels Zoro shaking him. 

“Cook!” He shouts, his eyes wide in panic as he grips Sanji’s shoulders tightly. His grip on Sanji’s shoulders is what brings him back to focus, and Sanji latches onto that like it’s a lifeline.

“Help,” he whispers, his voice cracking, and he _hates_ how weak he sounds, but he doesn’t have any other choice.

“What- how-“ Zoro stumbles over his words, looking panicked, and that does not help Sanji _at all_. If anything, seeing Zoro- his only source of comfort right now- in such a state of disarray makes it worse, and Sanji knows he’s getting closer and closer to completely losing his shit. That’s ultimately how he pulls himself together- the determination _not_ to fall apart in front of Zoro- and he grabs on to the other boy with an iron tight grip. 

“Just talk,” Sanji tells him, thinking of what Reiju does whenever Sanji calls her for help. Just hearing someone else talk and focusing on their voice always seems to help him.

“Okay,” Zoro says, sounding unsure at first, but then he seems to pull himself together, his face setting into the hard lines of determination. “Okay,” he repeats, much more resolutely. 

“You know, I got a new sword,” Zoro starts, and Sanji doesn’t know whether he wants to laugh or cry right now because of course that’s the first thing that pops into the damn Neanderthal’s mind. “I won it off of an older famous swordsman, and I think my dad was proud, but I’m not exactly sure. The guy used to be the world's greatest swordsman.”

“What was his name?” Sanji asks hoarsely, and Zoro blinks down at him for a few seconds before answering. 

“Ryuuma.”

“Never heard of him,” Sanji says, taking deep breaths. Instead of thinking about anything else around him, he just focuses on the warmth of Zoro beside him. It’s just something about the other boy that Sanji has never really noticed until now, but Zoro feels _safe_. Like a warm drink on a cold day, and it’s ultimately that warmth that finds Sanji standing back up on trembling legs. 

“Wh-what’s your dad like?” Sanji asks, prompting Zoro to keep speaking.

“Uh, he’s kinda weird,” Zoro says, and Sanji nudges him to tell him to keep talking when he pauses. Apparently giving more than one sentence answers is difficult for the damn caveman. 

“He’s- I don’t know- kind of creepy? Like he really likes dressing like a vampire, and he always wears this dumb hat with a feather in it. And sometimes he likes to just. Stare. His gaze is kind of unnerving, and a lot of people who aren’t used to it are really freaked out about it.”

Sanji hums to tell him he’s listening, and the two of them walk through the horror show, Sanji flinching everytime he hears a loud noise or someone jumps out at them. He hates seeming this pathetic, but he can’t exactly control himself at the moment. He’s glad, at the very least, that Zoro seems to understand the seriousness of the situation, and isn’t commenting at all about how weak he is. 

“-and once this weird cult tried to recruit me and Perona, but the leader was some kind of necrophiliac creep named Moria, so dad hunted him down and got the whole organization arrested.”

Sanji laughs. It’s weak, but it’s still a laugh. The sound seems to encourage Zoro as he looks over at Sanji. 

A piercing scream cuts through the horror show, and Sanji nearly jumps out of his skin before he realizes how _familiar_ that scream is. 

“Sounded like Usopp,” he comments with a weak grin, and Zoro huffs out an amused laugh. 

“That looks like the exit,” he tells Sanji, and Sanji looks up at where Zoro is looking. He’s surprised to see that Zoro is actually right, and they walk through it, the fresh open air washing over Sanji. 

Sanji collapses on the ground, taking in big gasps of it. He feels a little dizzy and sick, but he lets out a delighted laugh anyway. “I made it,” he says to the open air. “Holy fuck, I made it.”

Zoro kneels down beside him, looking hesitant to touch him despite the fact that Sanji had practically been hanging off of him before.”Are you… okay?”

“You worried about me, marimo?” Sanji asks with what he hopes is a teasing grin, and Zoro’s eyes narrow, a frustrated look falling over his face. 

“Why do you keep _doing_ that?” Zoro growls out, and Sanji sits straight up to look at him in surprise at his outburst. 

“Doing what?”

“Pretending that everything’s fine when-” he cuts off, gesturing at Sanji. “Obviously, you’re not!”

“You don’t get to determine that,” Sanji says, his own eyes narrowing. 

“Uh, yeah I do,” Zoro snaps back. “ _Fuck_ , Sanji, I thought you were _dying_.”

At that, Sanji quiets, thinking back to when Zeff had accidentally shut him into the pantry all those years ago. He had thought he was dying too, but now, attacks like that were a lot more frequent. It was one of those things Sanji just _has_ , and he’s learning how to get himself through it (usually by calling Reiju).

He sighs, figuring he at least owes the marimo an explanation. “I’m claustrophobic. I don’t-“ he pauses, trying to think of the right words. “deal well with dark enclosed spaces.”

Zoro blinks at him, his brow furrowing as he (god forbid!) thinks. “Then why the hell would you go inside a haunted house?”

“Well-” Sanji starts, but then he cuts off, realizing he doesn’t really have a decent explanation. “I didn’t think it would be that bad?” he says slowly, it coming out more as a question. 

“Bullshit,” Zoro hisses. “You went in there knowing that you… had issues with it. This better not have been some stupid pride thing.”

Sanji goes quiet, confirming Zoro’s suspicions that it _had_ been a stupid pride thing. 

“Cook!”

“I didn’t think it through, okay?” Sanji snaps at him. “I didn’t want to- to seem weak, so I went in knowing that I’d probably freak out. _Happy_?”

“ _No_!” Zoro shouts at him, practically seething. “Why the fuck would you think you’re _weak_? How in the world does this make you _weak_?”

“Because I _am_ ,” Sanji blurts out, not really thinking before he speaks. “Just because I kept getting locked up in that stupid closet as a kid-“ he cuts himself off as he realizes what he was about to admit to, and Zoro’s eyes narrow dangerously.

“You were _what_?” 

“But I don’t get it!” A loud voice interrupts them, and Sanji breathes a sigh of relief as Luffy and Chopper exit the horror show. “He was just a heavily injured old man! What was so scary about that?”

“He was a _zombie_ , Luffy!” Chopper squeaks. “The living dead? They’ll try and eat your brains, and if they bite you, then you’ll turn into a zombie too!”

“That sounds so cool!” Luffy cheers. “I wanna be a zombie!”

“No you don’t,” Sanji tells him, and he can see Zoro scowl beside him as Sanji avoids continuing their conversation. “You wouldn’t be able to eat human food if you were a zombie.”

“What?” Luffy says, pouting. “That sucks!”

Nami and Vivi are the next to exit the horror show, both of them looking visibly shaken. Sanji notices that they were clinging to each other for comfort, and he had a sinking feeling that was exactly what Nami had wanted. 

Usopp and Kaya follow, and Usopp seriously looks like his soul has completely left his body. He cowers behind Kaya who looks surprisingly unaffected, instead laughing as Usopp spouts lies about single handedly defeating an army of zombies and wrestling with a werewolf. 

Robin and Franky are the last to exit, and Franky looks more terrified about what Robin is telling him about what dying to a zombie must feel like than the actual horror show itself. 

Sanji frowns, turning to Nami as he suddenly realizes something. “I get Kaya and Usopp,” he whispers in her ear. “But why Franky and Robin? Wouldn't it have been better to put Robin with Luffy? She would be able to stop him from doing something stupid.”

“Don't they look good together, though?” Nami whispers back. Sanji gapes at her, at a loss for words. Was Nami seriously matchmaking their _teachers_?

“What?” She asks him, and he just shakes his head. Honestly, if Nami thinks it could work, then she’s probably right. 

“Hey, Nami,” Vivi says, walking over towards them. “It’s nearing the time for the fireworks show, so we might want to get in line for the Ferris wheel.”

Nami looks down at the watch around her wrist. “You’re right. Hey! Guys! Let’s start moving!”

Walking through the amusement park at night is definitely a different experience. All the shops are lit up, and the rides without lights start closing. The Ferris wheel is lit up with brightly colored lights that are practically a light show by themselves.

“I totally forgot to get a souvenir!” Vivi says suddenly and loudly, and Sanji turns to look at her in confusion. 

“Now? Can’t you go-“

He’s cut off by Nami slapping a hand over his mouth, and Vivi ignores him, turning to look over at Kaya.

“Can you come with me?” She asks the blonde girl, and Kaya blinks at her, somewhat taken aback. “Uh yeah sure, but-“ 

She’s completely cut off as Vivi moves to drag her away, sending a discreet thumbs up to Nami who returns it. Sanji looks between the two of them, confused. 

“Now,” she starts, turning to look at Usopp with a grin that means she’s _definitely_ plotting something. “Time to tell you your punishment from the game.”

Sanji blinks at her in surprise. He had honestly forgotten about the game that they had played in the car where Zoro had caught on to Usopp’s lie. The car ride up here seemed so long ago already. 

“What…?” Usopp asks, his voice trailing off as the gears in his head start turning, and he looks between Nami and the spot Kaya had been before. “ _No_.”

“Yes,” Nami says with a grin. “Confess to her on the Ferris wheel.”

“No way!” Usopp says. “You can’t just make me do that! Besides, I could never ruin our friendship-“

“Usopp,” Nami cuts him off. “Think about it- She goes to a completely different school for the majority of the year, and you only see her every summer. You confess now, and if you get rejected, then you won’t have to see her again until next summer. You don’t confess now, she might get a boyfriend later, and then you regret it.”

“We’ve been friends for _years_ , though,” Usopp argues, looking surprisingly defiant. “If I confess now, I might ruin that.”

“And who says it won’t get ruined anyway?” Nami asks him. “You don’t know what will happen later. You’ve got a pretty good chance now, trust me.”

Usopp hesitates, and Sanji can tell he’s considering it. To Sanji’s surprise, it’s _Franky_ that steps forwards next.

He claps a hand down on Usopp’s shoulder. “Let me give you some _super_ advice,” he says. “When I was younger, I was in a really similar situation. I was in love with my best friend, but I was too afraid of ruining our friendship to make a move. I just assumed that we’d be friends forever, but I was wrong. After the death of someone close to us, we had a _huge_ falling out, and we didn’t talk for _years_. It was only coincidence that led to us meeting again, and by then, it was too late.”

Usopp gulps, looking conflicted, but Sanji can tell that he’s made up his mind. “Okay,” he says, his voice cracking embarrassingly. “I’ll do it.”

Instead of cheering, Nami gives him a supportive smile and slaps him on the back. “We’re here for you,” she says, and Usopp sends her a thankful look. 

Sanji should have known that since _this_ was Nami’s plan for the Ferris wheel, they’d have the same partners they had in the horror show. He’s barely even looked at Zoro since what he said after it, and now he’s stuck with him for the entire ride. Just great.

“Oi,” Zoro says, pulling Sanji aside. “If you can’t ride it, then say something.”

Sanji stares at him blankly. “Why wouldn’t I be able to ride it…?”

“Cause of your-” Zoro cuts off, gesturing randomly. “Thing.”

“My what?” Sanji asks, confused, but then it clicks. “You mean my claustrophobia?”

Zoro blinks at him. “Uh, yeah, that.”

“Are you an idiot?” Sanji asks him bluntly. “There are literally windows. How could I get claustrophobic?”

Zoro growls, looking embarrassed. “Well, if you weren’t so much of a stubborn asshole, maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about it!”

Sanji blinks at him owlishly before a teasing smile finds its way onto his face. “Aw, marimo, you were worried about me.”

Zoro flushes, stuttering slightly, but Sanji doesn’t get to hear his reply, Nami cutting into their conversation. “Hey, you two are in the next cabin!” She calls out to them as she and Vivi get on. 

“Come on, marimo,” Sanji says, tugging on Zoro’s wrist. “Let’s go inside.”

The cabin is small, but it can definitely fit more than two people. There are two benches across from one another, and Sanji sits down on one, expecting Zoro to sit across from him. To his surprise, Zoro sits down beside him, looking out the opposite window. Well, that’s fine with Sanji; If Zoro wants to sit there and pretend he doesn't exist, then he can do the same. 

The ride moves forwards slowly, and he and Zoro fall into silence as a recorded voice in the cart talks about the Ferris wheel. “ _The Sabaody Ferris wheel was built during the formation of the park in-_ “

“What you said before,” Zoro says, breaking the silence. “About… getting locked in the closet- what did you mean?”

“I don’t-“ Sanji grimaces. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Zoro says slowly, and to Sanji’s surprise, he doesn’t attempt to push the issue.

They fall into silence as the Ferris wheel starts moving more upwards than forwards, and Sanji breaks it by letting out a slow exhale. “Thanks,” he mutters, muffling his voice slightly by leaning on the palm of his hand. He stares resolutely out the window, refusing to look at Zoro. “For what you did back in the horror show. I wouldn’t have made it through without you.”

Zoro makes this noise of acknowledgement, halfway between a hum and one of his characteristic grunts.

Sanji’s saved from having to say anything else as a loud boom echoes through the cart, and Sanji looks out the window to see fireworks exploding in the sky. 

“Woah,” he breathes out as the fireworks burst, momentarily washing the world beneath them with color. 

Not counting what Luffy showed him on the video call during New Year’s, most of the fireworks he’s ever seen were far away, and if he was lucky, he could get a clear view from his bedroom window. Watching them like this? Well, it’s honestly one of the most incredible things he’s ever seen. 

Sanji turns back to look at Zoro excitedly as a blue firework bursts behind them, washing their cabin with blue light. He freezes when he realizes Zoro is already looking at him, his expression almost dumbstruck, and his eyes widen ever so slightly when he sees Sanji turn around. 

Sanji feels like all of the air was just completely sucked out of his lungs, leaving him with a gaping expression that causes Zoro’s breath to hitch ever so slightly. 

Sanji can see the fireworks behind him reflected in Zoro’s eyes, and- _is he moving closer?_ Sanji’s heart starts jackrabbiting as Zoro’s face gets closer to his, and he watches as Zoro’s eyes flick down to- _holy fucking shit, what is happening?_

Sanji’s brain is a litany of _what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck_ , and he closes his eyes slowly, bracing himself for- _what exactly?_

He is answered as fingers brush the right side of his face, the tips of them hard and rough but somehow gentle as Zoro slowly tucks his hair behind his ears. He moves them down to trace a spot under Sanji’s right eye, and Sanji involuntarily shudders at the feeling.

“You-“ Zoro starts out, his voice low and rough, and Sanji’s mouth suddenly goes dry. “You have a scar here.”

Sanji makes a _hm?_ sound- or at least tries to. It ends up coming out strangled and a little high pitched, and Zoro’s eyes immediately flick up to his at the sound. 

The _boom_ of the fireworks behind him is echoed in the frantic beating of his heart in his ears, and he desperately wants Zoro to- do _what_ exactly?

His question is never answered as the ride comes to a stop, and Zoro’s hand drops from his face as he gets up in order to leave, the moment completely broken as Sanji’s bangs fall back down to conceal the second half of his face. Sanji has to stay sitting there for a little bit, taking deep shuddering breaths in order to calm his rapidly beating heart. 

“What happened?” Nami asks after he finally gathers himself up enough to leave the cabin. “Your face is all red.”

“N-nothing,” Sanji stutters out, hating the way his voice gives out on him. Fuck, what is _wrong_ with him?

Nami’s eyes narrow suspiciously, and she gives him a look that clearly says _this conversation isn’t over_ before turning to greet the next people exiting the Ferris wheel.

Both Usopp and Kaya are bright red with matching elated smiles on their faces as they exit their cabin, and Usopp’s legs actually give out from underneath him as he tries to walk out from how hard they’re trembling. 

“Well?” Nami asks, a smug smile on her face as Usopp flushes impossibly brighter. She is answered as the two of them lift up their intertwined hands, a sheepish smile on their face, and Nami's smile grows a lot more genuine.

“I’m really happy for you two,” she tells them, and Sanji nods beside her. From what he’s seen from the two of them today, they’re hopelessly in love with each other, and he can already see them happily growing old together and having kids (Sanji’s a bit of a romantic okay?). 

“Yahooo!” Luffy celebrates, his loud voice attracting a lot of unwanted attention from the people around them. “Let’s have a party to celebrate!”

“Do you even know what you’re celebrating?” Nami asks him, a deadpan expression on her face. 

Luffy blinks at her for a moment before breaking out in a massive smile. “Nope!”

Nami rolls her eyes and sighs. “How could I tell?”

“You’re pretty good at this, huh,” Sanji grins at Nami. _As expected of the genius Nami-swan!_

“What can I say?” Nami says with a smug grin. “I’m 1 for 3, not bad if I say so myself.”

Sanji frowns. “Wait what? Three? Who’s the-“

“Usopp!” Chopper cries out, running up and throwing his arms around the other boy. “Congratulations!”

“Quite a romantic confession, was it not?” Robin asks, her smile kind. “The fireworks made quite the backdrop.”

Sanji misses Kaya’s response, turning instead to look at Zoro. He startles slightly when their eyes meet, immediately turning away and feeling his face flush. _What the fuck?_ He thinks, not for the first time today as his heartbeat speeds up slightly. 

_What is going on with me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that zosan I see? What? No way! It only took 14 chapters haha
> 
> Next week: the end of the amusement park trip


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a little later than normal, this last week has been pretty hectic
> 
> Thanks for your patience and here is the completion of the Amusement Park arc!

“Is this the place?” Nami asks doubtfully, looking at the dinghy little food stall. 

“I think so,” Sanji says, craning his neck so that he can get a good look at the man at the counter. He recognizes him from the picture Zeff showed him, but the man is sound asleep with a bottle of alcohol right next to him. 

_Should I wake him?_ Sanji wonders, hesitating in front of the man. He doesn’t have to make a decision, however, because Luffy comes bursting in. 

“Sanji! Food!” He shouts, and Sanji winces at the volume as the man stirs, blinking up at them blearily.

“Did I fall asleep?” He yawns, looking around their group. “What can I do for you?” 

“Uh, hi,” Sanji says, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Are you Banban?” 

The old man squints at him for a bit before responding. “Are you that little eggplant Zeff keeps going on and on about?”

Sanji blushes at the nickname. “My _name_ is Sanji,” he huffs, ignoring the snicker that is _definitely_ Zoro behind him. 

“Well then, little eggplant,” Banban continues on, ignoring Sanji. “Why don’t you sit down so I can cook you and your friends some food. Any preferences?”

Sanji feels his eye twitch at the nickname, but he knows how stubborn shitty old geezers like him are. Chances are, he won’t drop the nickname. “Yeah- I don’t think you have to worry about anyone except Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper. Zoro doesn’t like sweet things, Chopper can’t handle spicy things, and Usopp doesn’t like mushrooms.”

“I see,” Banban nods, and moves to start cooking. He pauses when he notices that Sanji hasn’t moved. “I told you to go sit down, didn’t I?”

“Can I watch you work?” Sanji asks him, and the man considers him for a moment.

“Okay,” he agrees. “But no hovering.” 

Sanji’s friends settle down on the plastic chairs set up around Banban’s food stall while Sanji sits down to watch the older man work. Kaya and Usopp sit down next to each other shyly, their fingers still loosely intertwined, and Sanji wants to squeal at how cute they are.

He can tell that they’re not going to be an obnoxious couple that's really big on PDA and constantly rubbing in your face that they’re together, but there is a subtle difference between the two of them and everybody else- subtle in the way that Usopp holds her hand under the table and Kaya sends him soft smiles when their eyes meet. 

It’s extremely adorable, and Sanji is really happy for the two of them. 

He turns his attention to Banban who is clearly drunk, and his hands are shaking as he picks up his knife. It would be worrisome to Sanji if Zeff hadn’t been the one to recommend this place to Sanji, so he does his best to observe the other man. 

He’s surprised to see Banban use his shaking hands to his advantage, letting the trembling cut the food more than the actual muscles of his hand. He uses a knife that Sanji has only ever seen Zeff use to chop up the food, but that’s the only thing that really stands out to Sanji. Everything else is pretty standard except…

“Did you toast the spices before using them?” Sanji asks, craning his neck to get a better look. The old man gives him a scathing look. 

“Didn’t I say not to hover?”

“But why would you do that?” Sanji muses to himself. “Unless…” he leans over to taste the man’s spices, blinking in surprise when flavor practically bursts in his mouth.

There are things Sanji has seen Zeff do that the other man hasn’t quite explained (because most of his “teaching” is just making Sanji learn by watching and then harshly critiquing the food), and Sanji thinks back to how Zeff cooks. 

_Holy shit_ , Sanji thinks, mentally facepalming. _Have been overlooking this all this time?_

He mentally goes through all the recipes he has in his head, kicking himself once he realizes what he’s been doing. Some of the recipes he is properly preparing the spices beforehand because he copies how Zeff does it, but when he makes his own, he’s not optimizing any of them. _Maybe I could..._

Banban gives him an amused look when he notices the look in Sanji’s eyes and the way his fingers twitch. “Do I need to lend you my kitchen?”

“What?” Sanji asks, the question snapping him out of the recipes he’s rewriting in his mind. “Oh, no, I can test stuff out later.”

Banban laughs. “How about you use me as your guinea pig? I’d like to see if you’re as good as Zeff says you are.”

The idea that Zeff not only just _talks_ about him to other cooks- he brags about him, too- leaves Sanji with a tingly warm feeling inside. _Goddamn shitty geezer_ , he thinks to himself. 

“Well, if it doesn’t bother you,” Sanji coughs into his hand, secretly pleased. 

Banban finishes what he’d been making for Sanji’s friends, placing the dish in front of them. Sanji can tell that the man generally sticks more with asian foods, just looking at the dishes he made and the ingredients he has (Sanji usually makes more seafood). He puts out a couple bowls of fried rice on the table, followed by a few bowls of drunken noodles and some kimbap. 

Sanji immediately gets started on a dish of his own (because he knows what Banban put out isn’t enough to feed Luffy). He decides on stir fried seafood with noodles because he has the ingredients for it, and he puts extra care into the seasoning. 

He can’t help it- he’s excited. It’s not very often that he gets to have a cook that Zeff respects try his food. 

He gives Banban the first serving since Luffy and the others are still eating the food the man made. Sanji makes sure to try some before Luffy eats it all, and he samples it while Banban eats Sanji’s food. 

As he expects, the flavor practically explodes in his mouth, and he can definitely tell why Zeff respects Banban; Fried rice is such a simple food, but the man makes it taste like a high class dish. Sanji still can’t get over the fact that he’s been overlooking such an important step for so long. _Hopefully I did it right_ , he thinks as he sneaks a look at Banban. Doubt curls in his stomach as he compares his food to the other man’s. _Will he like it?_

“Hm,” the man hums as he eats Sanji’s food, and Sanji can’t help but hang off of his every word. “It’s not bad- I can tell you know what you’re doing, but there are still some ways it can be improved.”

He reaches out to ruffle Sanji’s hair while Sanji blushes at the compliment. “You’re doing good, kid. I’d say you’re already at the level where you could work in a professional kitchen. If you can get a couple years of experience- maybe learn more from a few different cooks- opening a restaurant would be no problem.”

Sanji grins, feeling giddy at the mention of his dream. _Did Zeff tell him?_ “Thanks, old man.”

Banban’s eye twitches. “I’m not an old man yet, you brat!”

“Sanji!” Luffy shouts, saving Sanji from getting wacked by Banban’s cane. Sanji turns to see him holding up an empty bowl. “Let us try!”

“Be right there,” Sanji tells him, finishing every last grain of rice that Banban gave him. 

“Those are some good friends you’ve got,” Banban comments idly as Sanji moves to bring his dish over to his friends to try. 

Sanji smiles over at Luffy fondly. “Yeah, I’ve got the best friends in the world.”

He offers some of the seafood stir fry to his friends, but most of them are already too full. Nami insists on at least trying one bite, but that’s all she can fit in her stomach. Sanji doesn’t mind, and he finds a place where he can stand and see everyone’s reactions, placing the remaining stir fry on the counter.

“Is it good?” Sanji asks eagerly, leaning forwards to watch as his friends taste his most recent experiment. 

“Yummy!” Luffy shouts, practically melting into his seat. 

“Did you change something?” Nami asks him, looking regretfully at the food like she wants to eat more, but she doesn’t have the stomach for it. “It’s really good.”

“Yeah, that old man taught me how to bring out the flavor in spices,” Sanji grins. “If you toast them first-“

He’s cut off by the sound of Zoro placing his plate down in the table beside him, looking up at Sanji expectantly. 

“You want more?” Sanji asks, blinking at him in confusion. 

“Yeah,” Zoro grunts like the stupid caveman he is. “It was good.”

Sanji is completely caught off guard by the compliment, and he feels his face practically burst into flames. His heart flutters happily in his chest, and if Sanji wasn’t so busy trying to will the blush to fade from his cheeks, he would’ve questioned the feeling. _What the fuck?_ He thinks. _Am I sick or something?_

“G-get it yourself,” he stutters, quickly turning away from Zoro. _It must be the heat_ , he tells himself as the blush stubbornly remains on his face. 

“This is really good,” Kaya tells him, patting her stomach happily. “Oh my god, I feel so full.”

“I know right,” Vivi quips. “I’m pretty sure I gain like five pounds everytime I go anywhere with you guys to eat.”

“Don’t remind me,” Nami moans. “I don’t like to think about the consequences of all the food I eat.”

“Don’t worry, beautiful ladies,” Sanji croons with a twirl. “I always watch what you eat, so I know how to ensure your diet is balanced. You’ll never go fat on my watch.”

“Pervert,” Zoro mutters, and Sanji kicks him under the table. 

“I have to be careful with you more than anyone else, you fucking idiot. All your excessive exercising makes it hard to ensure you’re eating enough.”

Zoro pauses in his eating to stare at Sanji in surprise. “You… do that?”

Sanji frowns at him. “Of course I do.” _Is that creepy?_ He asks himself. He had never really considered it before, he just thought it was something he had to do as their friend and unofficial private cook.

Zoro makes this face- one Sanji is beginning to grow accustomed to- where he just gapes at Sanji, his mouth open like there’s something he wants to say, but he holds himself back at the last moment. There’s this _feeling_ that Sanji can’t exactly describe, but Sanji _wants_ \- He wants Zoro to look at him like that all the time. 

_Which is ridiculous_ , he reminds himself as he turns away, scowling at himself. There’s absolutely no reason at all why he would ever want Zoro to look at him. 

The rest of the dinner passes by uneventfully- or at least as uneventfully as it can when Luffy is involved. Banban does give them a discount (which Nami is thankful for), and he tells Sanji to stop by again some day or at the very least to invite him over when he opens his own restaurant. 

Sanji knows his cooking is far from perfect. _Maybe_ he would claim to be a decent cook, but he’s nothing compared to Zeff and Banban. Today, though, he feels like he got at least a little closer.

…

“It’s an overnight trip,” Nami announces as she barges into the boy’s hotel room. “You guys know what that means.”

Sanji looks up from where he had been arguing with Zoro over who sleeps where (Sanji refuses to sleep anywhere near Zoro unless he takes a shower, and Zoro says he doesn’t want to be near Sanji because his prissiness is probably contagious). Vivi, Kaya, and Robin follow her into the room, and Kaya exchanges shy smiles with Usopp. 

“What does that mean?” Chopper asks, blinking up at Nami confusedly.

“Pillow fight!” Luffy shouts, and he throws a pillow that barely misses Nami.

“Wait, that’s not what I-“ Nami protests, but it’s already too late. 

“How dare you almost hit Nami!” Sanji shouts, enraged, and he chucks a pillow at the boy which misses and hits Franky in the face. Franky sends him a devious grin, and then he starts gathering pillows to make a fort (“ _It’s the 23rd Battle Franky!_ ”). 

Zoro takes advantage of the situation to whack Sanji on the head with his own pillow, and Sanji retaliates by taking Usopp’s (“ _hey!_ ”) and returning the favor. 

Usopp takes Chopper’s pillow (“ _wait!_ ”), and throws it so that it hits Sanji in the face. Obviously, Sanji can’t let him live after that, and takes a break in his mini-battle with Zoro to take revenge on the cocky little long-nosed liar.

Usopp uses Chopper as a shield, which results in Zoro getting mad at Sanji all over again when he accidentally hits the younger boy (“ _I was aiming at Usopp, you bastard!_ ”). 

Nami gets pulled into the fight when Luffy finally lands a hit on her, and she starts taking pillows off of the 23rd Battle Franky in order to enact her revenge. 

All of them (except Robin because she somehow manages to dodge the chaos and avoid getting him, so she just stays on the sidelines and laughs at their antics) eventually get pulled into the fight, and the pillow fight devolves into a pillow war that only ends when they get a call from the hotel management staff complaining that they’re too loud.

“Now,” Nami announces as they settle down, everyone exhausted and disheveled (except Luffy who has unlimited energy and Robin who avoided the whole ordeal). “For what I originally came in here for.”

“Food?” Luffy asks hopefully, and Nami groans.

“ _No_ , Luffy, we just ate.”

Sanji digs through the bag that he brought (but couldn’t bring into the park because they don’t allow you to bring food), and he grabs his emergency Luffy food pack and throws it at the other boy. Luffy happily sets upon demolishing it, and Nami sends him another one of those “ _you’ve got to stop spoiling him_ ” looks. 

“What is it?” Chopper asks, and Nami grins.

“We have to play mafia, of course.”

“What’s mafia?” Luffy asks, looking confused but intrigued.

Nami rolls her eyes. “Honestly, don’t you know how to play anything?” 

“Now, now,” Robin says gently. “A lot of us here didn’t really have normal childhoods, so we’re not as accustomed to this as you are.” 

Sanji sends her a grateful look, which Robin returns with a smile. Nami looks a little guilty, and she acknowledges Robin’s words. “Sorry,” she apologizes.

“It’s okay,” Robin tells her as she pats her shoulder gently. 

Nami proceeds to explain the game (multiple times for Luffy’s benefit), and even tells them about rules that she uses that most people don’t. The game involves a narrator who oversees the whole game, and after a short debate between choosing Robin and Usopp, they settle on Robin as the narrator. Robin then will pick two mafias who during the “night” cycle of the game will choose one person to kill. Then, Robin will reveal who was killed in the “day” cycle, and the rest of them have to guess who the mafias are. If everyone else fails to identify the two mafias before there are four people left, then they win. If the two mafias get identified, then they lose. 

There are also two other roles, the policeman and the doctor. The policeman gets to guess who the mafia is every night, and if they’re right, then the mafia member is eliminated from the game. The doctor chooses one person to “save” every night from the mafia. 

They all agree that the losers should be the one to apologize to the hotel staff in the morning for their impromptu pillow fight. 

“Okay, then,” Robin says after it seems like Luffy has _some_ grasp of the game. “Everyone sit in a circle, close your eyes, and lower your heads. I’ll assign the roles once everyone is ready.”

They settle into a sloppy circle in which Sanji misses his opportunity to sit next to the girls, and instead ends up between Usopp and Zoro. He closes his eyes and lowers his head, waiting awkwardly. A couple seconds pass by before Robin speaks.

“You’re the policeman,” Robin says, and then there’s some more shifting and movement before she speaks again. “You’re the doctor,” another pause. “You two are the mafias. Now both mafias, open your eyes and pick who you want to kill first.”

There are slight shifting sounds as whoever were picked as the mafias chose who they want to kill. 

“All right,” Robin says. “You can open your eyes now.”

Sanji opens his eyes as Robin clears her throat and prepares to tell the story. 

“It was a dark and stormy night,” she begins mysteriously. “And one person realized he forgot to put a tarp over his plants for protection.”

_She said he_ , Sanji realizes with a start. _Fuck, please don’t be me._

“In the moonlight, his plants transformed into carnivorous beasts,” she continues. “He barely had time to scream before they took him and ripped him apart, slowly digesting his body and bones.”

Sanji sees Kaya blanch at the gory description, but Robin continues on, completely undeterred. 

“When morning came, it became clear to the townspeople,” she pauses for dramatic effect. “That Usopp had perished.”

Usopp turns a pale white once he realizes it was about him, and Luffy throws himself at his best friend. “No! Usopp! You can’t die!”

“So,” Robin says with a small smile, leaning forwards. “Who do you guys think the mafias are?”

“I think it’s the marimo,” Sanji announces before anyone can say anything. 

“What?” Zoro growls. “Why the fuck would you think that?”

“Your face looks like the mafia,” Sanji tells him flippantly, and Zoro scowls. “And Usopp did die to plants.”

“Well you probably used your stupid eyebrow to confuse him and make him _think_ that he was dying to plants when it was really you all along.”

“Excuse me?” Sanji hisses, moving to kick him, but Nami stops him with a smack to the back of his head.

“Quit it, both of you. I think we should start by asking the two worst liars,” Nami cuts in, taking control of the situation (wonderful Nami-swan!). “Luffy, are you the mafia?”

Luffy blinks at her curiously. “No.”

Nami nods. “Alright. Chopper, are you the mafia?”

Chopper’s eyes flick around the group nervously before he looks down at the ground and mutters the most unconvincing “no.”

“Right, okay, there’s one mafia,” Nami says, and Chopper startles.

“W-wait no, I’m not the mafia!” 

“I can’t believe you killed me,” Usopp gasps, looking at the younger boy in horror. “I thought we were friends!”

Nami continues on her search, looking across the group. “Sanji, are you the mafia?”

Sanji blinks in surprise, momentarily taken aback by her choice. She thinks he’s a bad liar? “Of course not, Nami-swan!”

Nami nods and moves to question the next person, but she’s interrupted. 

“Who says _you_ aren’t the mafia?” Zoro accuses her, and Sanji gasps at the marimo in outrage.

“How dare you accuse Nami-swan!” He hisses at the marimo, and Zoro scowls right back at him. 

“Shut _up_ , you stupid love-cook-“

“You know what? Sanji I agree with you, I think Zoro’s the mafia too,” Nami announces.

“Awfully quick to accuse him, aren’t you?” Vivi asks her with a grin. “I don’t know, Nami, that seems pretty suspicious to me.”

“How about we go around the circle and have everyone say what they are,” Kaya suggests. “Maybe we will be able to tell who is lying.”

“I’ll start,” Nami says. “I am just a law abiding citizen. Kaya?”

“I’m the doctor,” Kaya tells them, and Sanji stares at her. As is his policy, he refuses to believe that any of the girls are lying, so he just crosses her off his mental list of suspects. 

“Usopp’s dead, so he can’t be the mafia,” Nami says, skipping over the next person in the circle. “Sanji?”

“I’m a citizen,” Sanji says, turning to look at Zoro next. “We already know you’re the mafia, Luffy’s a citizen, Chopper’s the other mafia, so Franky?”

“Hey!” Zoro growls in protest. “I’m not the mafia, shitty cook! I’m the fucking policeman.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sanji shrugs disinterestedly, but he can tell by looking at him that Zoro isn’t lying- he is the policeman. _That’s not fair_ , he thinks to himself, feeling a little disappointed. _I wanted a role._

“I’m a _super_ citizen,” Franky declares, and Sanji looks at him. He can’t see anything that makes it seem like Franky is lying, but he also doesn’t know how good Franky is at lying. 

“I’m a citizen,” Vivi tells them, and Sanji nods. Once again, he refuses to suspect any of the girls, so he decides that it must be Franky and Chopper. 

He does just want to see Zoro die, though, so he’ll keep accusing the other boy. 

“Okay, so we know at least for sure that Chopper is the mafia,” Nami says, and Chopper sags, already given up. “All in favor?”

They all raise their hands and send Chopper guilty looks. Robin laughs. “Yes, Chopper was the mafia. Ready for nightfall?”

They all nod, closing their eyes and lowering their heads. Robin asks the policeman who to accuse, the doctor who to save, and then the mafia who to kill. Once she finishes, they raise their head again. 

“Last night, a thief attempted to break into the bank,” she begins, and everyone turns to look at Nami as they immediately identify who she’s talking about. “Unfortunately, she gets shot, but as she’s bleeding out on the floor, the doctor decides to save her.”

Nami lets out a sigh of relief, sending Kaya a grateful look. Kaya grins at her in return. 

“The police was wrong in his accusation,” Robin tells them, and then leans back again. “Night ends.”

“Who did you accuse?” Sanji asks Zoro, and he gives him a look. 

“So I’m not the mafia now?” 

“No, I just wanted you to die. All in favor of killing Zoro to kill Zoro?”

Both Sanji and Nami put their hands up (unfortunately not enough to actually do it), and Zoro scowls. 

“Both of you, shut the fuck up. I accused the witch, but she’s not the mafia.”

Sanji gasps at him in horror, but before he can yell at Zoro for accusing the wonderful and genius Nami, Nami cuts him off. 

“Thanks, Zoro,” she comments on dryly. “ _Really_ helpful. Anyone have any ideas?”

“If it’s not Zoro, it’s Franky,” Sanji tells her, and Nami rolls her eyes. 

“It’s either Franky or it’s Vivi. What do the two of you have to say for yourselves?”

“I’m not the mafia,” Vivi says. “I’m just an innocent civilian. Plus if I were the mafia, I would’ve killed Nami first since she’s the most likely to figure it out.”

Nami pauses. “As much as I would rather not die first, that is true. Franky?”

Franky sniffs dramatically. “I can’t believe you guys would suspect me like this!”

“He’s the mafia,” Nami sighs, and everyone else nods in agreement. “All in favor of killing Franky?”

“I can’t believe this!” Franky shouts in lock outrage as the rest of them raise their hands.

“Franky was the mafia,” Robin says with a laugh, and Sanji exchanges a high five with Nami. 

“Let’s play again!” Luffy says excitedly. “I want to be mafia this time!”

“Luffy, you wouldn’t even last five seconds,” Nami rolls her eyes, and Luffy pouts. 

“Do you guys want to play again?” Robin asks, and most of them nod their heads. “All right, then close your eyes.”

...

Sanji doesn’t lie down in his sleeping bag when everyone else does, instead choosing to exit the hotel in favor of a smoke before he goes to bed. He was surprised he had actually made it through the entire day without one, but ever since returning to the Vinsmoke mansion, his addiction had gotten worse (mostly because he was smoking way more than usual because of the stress). 

The night air is cold on his skin, but Sanji doesn’t really care, taking a moment for himself to just think. There’s a smile playing on his lips as he thinks about the day that went by, happily sated by his time with his friends.

For the first time in his life, he went to an amusement park, and it wouldn’t be much of an overstatement to think that this had been the best day of Sanji’s entire life. He had gotten to be with his friends, he had learned more about cooking, and he had gotten to cook better food for his friends- honestly, the day can’t get much better than that.

What had happened at the horror show lingers briefly in his mind, and Sanji sighs to himself. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect day, and even thinking about the horror show causes guilt to coil in his stomach. He shouldn’t have put Zoro through that, and as thankful as he is for the marimo’s actions, he wishes he didn’t have to worry his friend. 

He sighs, putting out his cigarette. It’s been a long day, and he’s tired. He feels a lot more relaxed after his smoke, and he can feel the beginnings of sleep already pulling at his eyelids. 

After walking back up to their room, he tries his best to silently sneak in, stifling a laugh when he hears both Luffy and Zoro snore. He settles down into his sleeping bag as quietly as possible, shifting around until he feels comfortable. He ends up facing Zoro’s face, feeling that strange ache when he looks at the other boy. 

Zoro is attractive. It’s something Sanji has always known- or at least always heard other people say- but he had never thought it himself. Until now. 

When he’s sleeping like this, Sanji can see the smooth lines of his face, not marred by his usual scowl. He’s definitely handsome, and Sanji sighs, resting the temptation to reach out and touch him. 

_What would it feel like_ , he wonders to himself, _to run my fingers through his earrings or to smoothen out the lines on his face?_

Zoro would be warm, Sanji knows that. The idiot gives off more heat than an actual heater. _Would it feel smooth or rough? What kind of face would he make?_

Sanji wants Zoro to smile. As much as he hates to admit it, Zoro has a very nice smile. It’s big, and it shows off his white teeth which pop out nicely against his tan skin. He also looks happy and carefree when he smiles, and Sanji really, _really_ wants Zoro to smile. All the time. At him.

_What the fuck?_ Sanji thinks to himself, turning away from Zoro so that he can’t see the other boy’s face. Should his heart be beating this fast? It definitely shouldn’t be beating this fast. Is he sick? Should he see a doctor?

He places a hand on his chest, taking a deep breath in order to calm himself down. _Sleep_ , he thinks to himself. _I need to sleep, right now._

It takes him a long time before he finally falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: the start of junior year


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s technically still Friday for me, so I’m not too late... right?

After all the fun with his friends, summer just seems to drag on, and by the time school starts back up again, Sanji is absolutely convinced that he’ll go insane if he has to continue tiptoeing around the Vinsmokes any longer. His only solace is the time he spends talking on his phone with his friends. 

“Excited for school tomorrow?” Nami asks him over the phone as Sanji finishes packing up to leave for Zeff’s.

“Holy shit, you have no idea,” Sanji mutters as he sorts through his school books. “The sooner I’m out of this fucking hellhole, the better.”

Nami laughs. “You really hate the Vinsmokes, don’t you?”

Right on cue, Yonji shouts “Hey failure!” from someplace else in the house. Sanji winces, hoping Nami didn’t hear it, but he should know by now that he’d never be that fortunate. 

“What was that?” Nami asks, and Sanji can hear the frown in her voice. 

“It was nothing, just give me a second,” Sanji says hastily, muting himself for a quick moment in order to shout at his brother. “Shut the fuck up, you bastard- I’m on the goddamn phone!”

There’s a muffled curse and a slap (which was probably Ichiji hitting their youngest brother for possibly risking the “good” Vinsmoke name), and Sanji turns to the phone, unmuting himself. “Sorry.”

“Was that your brother?” Nami asks, and Sanji winces. _Hopefully she didn’t hear what he called me._

“Yeah,” he tells her, knowing better than to lie to Nami (she could probably hear it in his voice somehow). 

There’s a small pause, and Sanji can actually see Nami’s frowning face and the way her eyebrows furrow when she realizes there’s something Sanji isn’t telling her. “Was he talking to you?” She asks, her voice dangerously low.

“It’s fine, really Nami, don’t worry about it,” Sanji tells her, and he’s surprised to hear a low growl over the phone.

“Vivi told me your brothers were assholes, but talking to you like that is unacceptable,” she snarls, and Sanji is both surprised and somewhat touched by the amount of venom in her voice. 

“Oh, my beautiful Nami-swan!” Sanji gushes, about to profusely thank her for her concern and declare himself unworthy of such affections, but Nami doesn’t let him.

“Sanji,” she says warningly. “Don’t think I don’t know your tricks now. You only ‘oh, Nami-swan’ me when there’s something you’re trying to hide.”

“That’s not true,” Sanji protests weakly, and he hears Nami sigh.

“Okay, yeah, you do it all the time, but right now it’s because you’re not telling me something.”

There’s a frightening moment where Sanji _wants_ to tell her. He feels guilty keeping everything from her, especially when she confronts him like this, but he knows he can’t. He doesn’t want her to end up like Zeff, constantly worried about Sanji and feeling guilty about his inability to help him. There’s a part of him that’s begging her to put the pieces together like Robin, but it feels too selfish to ask. Nami already has enough on her plate with her own life, she shouldn’t have to be stressing out over Sanji’s situation too. 

“I just don’t fit in with them,” Sanji tells her instead. “I may have been born into this family, but I am not- and I will never be- a Vinsmoke.” 

There’s a hum as Nami seems to accept his explanation– or at least acknowledge that he doesn’t want to talk about it– and she changes the subject, choosing instead to start talking about her classes for the next school year.

…

There are a lot of things that change with the new school year. 

The most obvious are Sanji’s classes. He no longer has engineering with Usopp (actually _nobody_ is in any of Franky’s classes, but that doesn’t stop him from hanging out and eating lunch with them everyday anyway), and he also no longer has history with Robin. He still manages to share a history class with Zoro though, just this time with a different (and very much less likable) teacher. 

The class he’s actually the most excited about is the college level chemistry course that their school offers. Apparently, taking that class is a prerequisite for a lot of the high level engineering colleges Judge wants him to go to (which Sanji _definitely_ will not go to), so Judge requires him to take the class. The best thing about chemistry, though, is that a lot of skills related to chemistry as well as the overall understanding of ingredients he works with as a cook are extremely beneficial for the career path he actually _wants_ to take.

Therefore, Sanji comes into chemistry with high expectations.

All of those are completely shattered, however, by his fucking pathetic shitty excuse for a teacher, Caesar Clown (what kind of fucking name is that anyway?). He completely ruins almost anything good about the class, but Sanji’s saving grace comes in the form of Tashigi and the “G-5” squad. 

The G-5 squad is annoying of course, since they’re all rough, uncultured men, but they are somewhat endearing. They idolize Sanji like some kind of genius which does wonders to his ego. Tashigi, on the other hand, is a wonderful woman who is kind, caring, and extremely passionate, and best of all, Zoro is strangely terrified of her– well, not exactly terrified, but he always acts weird around her. 

Sanji does consider at one point that Zoro might possibly have a crush on her, and the thought really doesn’t sit well with him for some reason. Sanji doesn’t know if it’s because he can’t imagine Zoro liking someone or if it’s something else, but Sanji doesn’t like it. 

One day, when Sanji honestly can’t take it anymore, he asks Nami if she thinks Zoro has a crush on Tashigi. The _look_ Nami gives him is so full of disappointment and disbelief that it almost rivals the look she had on her face when Luffy tried to eat a piece of gold and then threw it away when he realized he couldn’t. “Are you an idiot?” She asks him, and after that, he never asks again. 

If Nami clearly believes that he doesn’t like her, then he probably doesn’t, but that doesn’t stop Sanji from feeling an unpleasant twist in his stomach when he’s around her. 

Of everything that changes during his junior year, whatever weird thing that’s going on between him and Zoro is by _far_ the most confusing. 

Sanji always feels strange around Zoro. He gets all sweaty and queasy and his heart gets all fluttery, and he has an almost constant craving for Zoro’s attention. All of this is _not_ a very good combination, and they end up fighting a lot more because of it. 

Not that Sanji minds– he begrudgingly admits that he actually quite likes his and Zoro’s fights. It’s just that no matter what he does, that feeling never goes away, and he always has this excess energy that he has no idea what to do with. 

This leads to yet _another_ change that Sanji can honestly admit is a very, very bad thing: Sanji’s smoking addiction gets _much_ worse. 

Over the summer, the constant stress at the Vinsmoke Manor had him smoking almost two whole packs every week. That, along with whatever is going on with him and Zoro, makes it so Sanji can barely even get through a whole school day without a cigarette. More often than not, when his friends can’t find him, he’s at the place between the sports buildings and the school buildings, hiding as he sneaks a smoke. 

It’s Luffy who mentions it first, stopping Sanji when he leaves them for his daily smoke. 

“Chopper says those are bad for you,” he says seriously, looking at Sanji with wide unblinking eyes. 

“Yeah,” Sanji murmurs awkwardly, fidgeting around. As he is now, he _just can’t stay still_. His foot is tapping on the ground anxiously, and his fingers are drumming patterns out on his thigh. 

Luffy frowns. “Then why do you do it?”

Sanji shifts uncomfortably, not exactly sure how to explain it. “They… help me.”

Apparently, that’s the wrong answer, because Luffy’s eyes narrow even more. “Why does Sanji ask the death sticks for help and not his friends?”

Sanji pauses, mulling over the thought in his mind. In the beginning, he started smoking because it helped him relax, but last year when he was constantly around his friends, he unconsciously started cutting back, not needing to smoke as much as before. Either way, he _should_ stop smoking as much and try and cut back a bit, so he agrees with Luffy.

“Okay,” he murmurs, sitting back down with the rest of his friends. “I’ll try not to do it as much.”

Of course, it’s never _that_ easy, and while Sanji tries his best not to smoke every time he gets a craving, sometimes he just can’t help it. 

The biggest change that came with the new school year was the introduction of Brook. It's Franky that introduces him to them, and it turns out that Brook is the new music teacher for their school. 

The two of them had apparently become fast friends after their initial introduction to one another, and Brook was pleasantly surprised to meet a fellow colleague who shared his passion for music. From there, Brook was introduced to Robin, and it was just a matter of time before he became incorporated in their group of friends. 

Sanji _likes_ Brook. While he may be a little perverted at times and tell more bad puns than Usopp tells lies, he’s still a nice person, and he is very considerate of others and their feelings. Unlike _certain_ people, he actually has manners, and he even goes out of his way to compliment Sanji every time he tries his cooking. He’s a great person to go to for someone to test dishes, since he gives great constructive feedback, and Sanji often finds himself just enjoying Brook’s company in the few instances that it’s just the two of them. 

Sanji makes sure to go out of his way to always have tea on him for Brook, and sometimes the two of them will just sit down and enjoy a nice cup of tea together. Brook lets Sanji hang out in his classroom after school while he waits for Zeff to pick him up, and Sanji gets to listen to him practice violin. 

It’s honestly the most relaxing part of Sanji’s day, sitting and drinking warm tea as Brook plays some absolutely gorgeous violin melodies. 

“You seem like you have a lot on your mind,” Brook says, sitting down next to Sanji. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Not really,” Sanji admits with a sigh, briefly running a hand through his hair. Recently, Sanji and Zeff have been fighting more than normal because Zeff thinks Sanji should focus more on school instead of spending all his time in the Baratie kitchens. Sanji thinks it’s utterly ridiculous because he wants to be a cook, so he should, you know, _cook_ ; however, Zeff keeps going on about how Sanji’s a smart kid, and he shouldn’t sell himself on that one idea so quickly because he has the potential to be good at other things. Sanji thought it should be perfectly clear by now that he has no interest in _other things_ , but Zeff is a stubborn bastard who won’t listen to reason.

“If you don’t mind me asking– does it have something to do with you and Zoro?” Brook asks suddenly after a long silence. 

“Me and Zoro?” Sanji asks, confused. “If you’re worried about us fighting, we’re always like that, don't worry.”

“No, I mean-“ Brook leans in, quieting his voice conspiratorially. “Your _you-know-what_ on _you-know-who_.”

Sanji stares at him blankly. “My what?”

Brook blinks back at him. “Your- ah what do young people call it these days?” He thinks for a bit, and Sanji just looks at him, hopelessly confused. “Your _crush_ on our dear swordsman friend.”

Sanji frowns, confused and a bit irritated. “I don’t have a-“ he cuts off, thinking for a moment. The weird clenching feeling in his chest, the way his heart sometimes flutters around the other boy, the constant want for Zoro’s attention, the whole moment in the Ferris wheel- _holy shit_ , Sanji had wanted Zoro to _kiss_ him. 

“I have a crush on Zoro,” Sanji whispers, and Brook just looks a little lost and confused. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“Holy shit, I have a crush on Zoro,” Sanji repeats as everything starts clicking in place. 

Maybe it should come as more of a surprise to him– especially considering how long he spent convinced that he hated the other boy, and the fact that the two of them can’t be in the same room without bickering with each other– but it actually kind of makes sense. 

It’s like a buildup of thousands of little things and moments over the course of the year that they’ve known each other that just all came together into _this_. It’s like going on an uphill climb and only realizing how far up you are when you look down. It just makes _sense_. After all the time they’ve spent hanging out together, talking, playing, supporting each other’s dreams, and even all their arguments was just inevitably leading up to this. He just thinks _oh, I like Zoro._

Which is immediately followed up by a _holy shit, what the fuck, I like Zoro_ , and, of course, panic. 

All of this leads him to the most logical and sensible course of action: “I’m really sorry, Brook,” Sanji says, practically shooting up to his feet. 

“Ah, no, it’s okay-“ Brook says, but Sanji is already running out the door, furiously dialing a number on his phone. 

“NAMI!”

“What is it?” Nami asks, responding almost immediately. “Did I forget something at school or something?”

“I think I like Zoro,” Sanji announces, holding his breath as he waits for Nami’s response.

There’s a shifting sound and a thump, and Sanji hears something that sounds suspiciously like someone shouting “ _finally!_ ” before Nami returns to the call, sounding a little breathless.

“So,” she starts, her tone of voice fading into something a little more serious. “That’s a pretty big revelation. How are you feeling about that?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Sanji confesses. “I just- what if he thinks I’m disgusting and doesn’t want me around anymore?”

“Sanji,” Nami says, her voice gentle. “Do you really think Zoro would think that?”

Sanji can imagine it easily, the face of disgust that Zoro would make, but at the same time, it’s not Zoro. “No,” Sanji admits softly. Zoro’s not the kind of person to do something like that. 

“Honestly? I think the two of you would work out,” Nami says, and Sanji tries his best to ignore the hopeful twist in his stomach. 

It's strange, when he thinks about it, because this is the first time he’s ever had a crush on someone his own age. Ghin, Viola, and Ace were all older than him, so his feelings for them are very different from what he feels towards Zoro. 

For example, his crush on Ace which was built on attraction and admiration. It’s not like he’s not attracted to Zoro (if he allows himself to admit it, the green haired idiot _is_ pretty attractive), and he admires Zoro’s dedication to his ambition, but his feelings for him are way different than that. Before Zoro was his crush, he was his friend which means that everything between the two of them is built upon a mutual respect and understanding of each other. For some reason, his crush on Zoro just seems more _real_ , like it could work and lead him somewhere (which, in itself is a terrible thought because Sanji _really_ doesn’t need to be fantasizing about going on dates with Zoro and holding Zoro’s hand and- _shit_ , he’s already in too deep). 

“But what if it doesn’t work?” Sanji asks softly. “What if he doesn’t feel the same and I ruin our friendship and then tear the entire group apart?”

“Sanji,” Nami scolds him softly. “That would never happen.”

“But still,” Sanji protests. “I don’t really want to risk it.”

He hears Nami exhale slowly before she finally responds. “Okay,” she says, sounding disappointed. “I’ll respect your decision— but promise me one thing.” 

“Of course,” Sanji agrees almost instantly. 

“Watch Zoro, okay? Your feelings might not be as one sided as they seem,” Nami tells him, and Sanji feels a little spark of hope in his chest at her words.

He stomps it out as quickly as possible. Better to make sure he doesn’t get his hopes up. “Okay,” he tells Nami anyway. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven’t gotten around to responding to everyone’s comments, I’ve been really busy. I’m reading all of them, and I’m really thankful to everyone who takes the time to leave such nice and thoughtful comments :D
> 
> Hopefully I’ll update on time next week, haha. In honor of the most recent one piece manga chapter, the next chapter will be a lot more Sanji and Robin centric :3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave comments and kudos to tell me what you think :D


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